Ben Delo and Christopher Harborne: Who are Reform UK's two mega-donors?

British cryptocurrency billionaires Ben Delo and Christopher Harborne have made history with donations of £36m each to Reform - the largest single donations to a British political party on record.

The hefty donations from Mr Delo and Mr Harborne have renewed calls for increased scrutiny of UK political campaign finance.

There is currently no cap on the amount of money that UK-based donors can give to political parties.

So, who are these two super-wealthy men?

Ben Delo

The 42-year-old British cryptocurrency billionaire was born in Sheffield and diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome - a form of autism - as a child.

He studied mathematics and computer science at the University of Oxford, graduating with double first-class honours.

Initially working as a software engineer at IBM in London, he then moved into financial services, relocating to Hong Kong for his role at JPMorgan.

With regard to his current location, Reform deputy leader Richard Tice confirmed to Sky News that Mr Delo has "moved back or is literally moving back" to the UK from Hong Kong.

In 2014, Mr Delo co-founded cryptocurrency platform BitMEX.

In 2022, he was convicted in the US of a Bank Secrecy Act violation, before being pardoned by President Donald Trump last year.

A self-described philanthropist, Mr Delo became one of the youngest ever signatories of The Giving Pledge in 2019, committing to giving away the majority of his wealth during his lifetime, donating to causes including maths education, free enquiry and academic freedom, the Commonwealth, and neurodiversity.

In a 2025 article, Mr Delo wrote for The Spectator, announcing his support for the London Institute for Mathematical Sciences.

He wrote: "I'm not interested in art auctions or superyachts. I'm interested in backing ideas that scale - and truth should scale better than anything else."

Mr Delo says he has given Reform the record £36m donation to ensure a "fair fight" at the polls. He made the payment up front to avoid attempts to block it.

The £36m figure represents £1m a month between now and the latest possible date of the next general election in 2029, according to the Daily Telegraph.

Writing for the newspaper, Mr Delo said: "Unlike the people who express mock concern for the health of 'our democracy' while doing everything they can to keep it as a cartel, I want a fair fight and a level playing field.

"My conclusion from Reform's recent troubles is that they should spend less time trying to raise funds to compete on equal terms and more time preparing for government."

Christopher Harborne

Billionaire Christopher Harborne, 63, has donated millions to Reform UK over the years, with his previous largest donation a £9 million gift in August last year.

That has now been trumped by his £36m donation, matching that of Mr Delo.

Born near Sheffield and educated at the fee-paying Westminster School, he studied engineering at Cambridge University, where he was a keen rower.

Describing himself on his LinkedIn profile as an "engineer, pilot and investor", he made his money in the aviation field, defence and investment, and in cryptocurrency.

Based in Thailand since 1996, he has a second Thai name - Chakrit Sakunkrit, as well as a Thai passport, and a wellness resort on Koh Samui.

Writing in the Telegraph about his record donation to Reform, Mr Harborne said the party required funds for its infrastructure, saying it "needs more money than can be provided by membership fees alone".

He added: "What do I expect in return for my donations? Nothing, personally. No peerage, no policy change, just a party that is ready for government.

"I have already accumulated enough wealth for the rest of my life. I am now committed to putting that to work for Britain and humanity as a whole."

He previously made large donations to the Conservatives under Boris Johnson and accompanied the former prime minister on a two-day trip to Ukraine in 2023.

Mr Harborne has also previously given to Nigel Farage's private office.

An investigation is currently underway into a £5m gift given by Mr Harborne to Nigel Farage in 2024, before he became an MP.

On another occasion, he donated more than £60,000 to the Reform leader, flying him out to Donald Trump's second inauguration.

(c) Sky News 2026: Ben Delo and Christopher Harborne: Who are Reform UK's two mega-donors?