Crypto billionaire Ben Delo donated £36 million to Reform before Christopher Harborne donated the sum the next day to dramatically change the landscape of political finance in the UK.
The total of £72 million exceeds the total received by all UK political parties last year, meaning Reform raised around £86 million in 2026, compared with around £7 million raised by both Labor 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 from Oxford University in 2005 with double honors in mathematics and computer science.
He initially worked as a software engineer at IBM in London before moving into financial services, moving to Hong Kong to work at JPMorgan, where he first began experimenting with Bitcoin.
In 2014, he co-founded cryptocurrency platform BitMEX, and in 2018, The Times reported that he became the UK’s youngest self-made billionaire.
Deputy Reform leader Richard Tice confirmed to Sky News that Mr Delo has “returned or is literally returning” to the UK from Hong Kong.
Mr Delo is believed to be worth around £1 billion.
He considers himself a philanthropist and signed the Giving Pledge in 2019, promising to give away the majority of his wealth during his lifetime.
He has also donated to causes such as mathematics education, free inquiry and academic freedom, the Commonwealth and neurodiversity.
Mr Delo wrote for The Spectator in 2025, announcing his support for the London Institute of Mathematical Sciences.
He wrote: “I have no interest in art auctions or superyachts. I’m interested in supporting ideas that scale, and truth should scale better than anything else.”
In 2022, he was convicted in the US for failures in the anti-money laundering program at his business.
After pleading guilty, he was sentenced to 30 months probation but was pardoned by President Donald Trump last year.
Following the pardon, he said in a statement: “The US Department of Justice has unfairly prosecuted BitMEX and its co-founders.
“This full and unconditional pardon from President Trump reaffirms the position we have always held – that BitMEX, my co-founders and I should never have been charged with a criminal offense under an unclear, outdated law.
“As the most successful cryptocurrency exchange of our kind, we have been unfairly held up as an example, sacrificed for political reasons, and used to send conflicting regulatory signals.
“I am truly grateful to the President for pardoning me and my co-founders. Today, the legal violation has been corrected, and despite the suffering I have endured over the past few years, I am glad that I was able to clear my name and be able to continue my life and philanthropic work without the burden of a wrongful conviction.”
£36 million donation
Mr Delo says he made a record £36 million donation to Reform to ensure a “fair fight” in the election.
He said he made the payment in advance to avoid attempts to block it.
The £36 million figure represents £1 million a month between now and the latest possible date for the next general election in 2029, according to the Daily Telegraph.
In an article for the newspaper, Mr. Delo said: “Unlike people who express false concern for the health of “our democracy” by doing everything they can to preserve it as a cartel, I want a fair fight and a level playing field.
“My conclusion from Reform’s recent problems is that they should spend less time raising money to compete on a level playing field and more time preparing for government work.”