Crypto billionaires Ben Delo donated Reform £36 million, before Christopher Harborne matched the amount the following day, to dramatically reshape the landscape of political funding in Britain.
The combined £72 million is more than the total received by all UK political parties last year, and it means that Reform has now raked in around £86 million in 2026, compared to around £7 million raised by both Labour and the Conservatives.
But who is Ben Delo, and how much is he worth?
Ben Delo, 42, was born in Sheffield, and was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome as a child.
He graduated with a double first-class honours degree in mathematics and computer science from the University of Oxford in 2005.
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, where he first started experimenting with Bitcoin.
In 2014, he co-founded cryptocurrency platform BitMEX, and in 2018, The Times reported he was the UK’s youngest self-made billionaire.
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.
Mr Delo is understood to have a net worth of around £1 billion.
He considers himself a philanthropist, signing the Giving Pledge in 2019, in which he promised to give away the majority of his wealth during his lifetime.
He has also donated to causes including maths education, free enquiry and academic freedom, the Commonwealth, and neurodiversity.
Mr Delo wrote for The Spectator in 2025, 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.”
He was convicted in the US over failings in an anti-money laundering programme in his business in 2022.
He had been sentenced to 30 months of probation after his guilty plea, but was pardoned by President Donald Trump last year.
After he was pardoned, he said in a statement: “The US Department of Justice wrongfully targeted BitMEX and its co-founders.
“This full and unconditional pardon by President Trump is a vindication of the position we have always held – that BitMEX, my co-founders and I should never have been charged with a criminal offence through an obscure, antiquated law.
“As the most successful crypto exchange of its kind, we were wrongfully made to serve as an example, sacrificed for political reasons and used to send inconsistent regulatory signals.
“I’m sincerely grateful to the president for granting this pardon to me and my co-founders. A legal wrong has been righted today and despite the distress I have been through over the past few years, I’m pleased to have cleared my name and to be able to continue my life and philanthropic work without the burden of an unfounded conviction.”
The £36 million donation
Mr Delo says he has given Reform the record £36 million donation to ensure a “fair fight” at the polls.
He said that he made the payment up front to avoid attempts to block it.
According to the Daily Telegraph, the £36 million figure represents £1 million a month between now and the latest possible date of the next general election in 2029.
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.”
