Christopher Harborne — the crypto investor best known for a big stake in stablecoin issuer Tether — has climbed onto the UK’s Rich List even as a parliamentary inquiry probes a reported multimillion-dollar gift to Nigel Farage.
Key facts
- The Sunday Times’ annual Rich List (released Friday) places Harborne sixth in the UK with an estimated fortune of about $24.4 billion (£18.2 billion). Much of that value is tied to a roughly 12% holding in Tether, issuer of the USDT stablecoin.
- Tether itself has been sized at about $200 billion; the company reported $1.04 billion in profit in Q1 of this year, with nearly $192 billion in reserve assets and an $8.23 billion reserve buffer.
- Harborne’s lawyers say he owns stakes in Tether and sister exchange Bitfinex but plays no operational role.
Regional and personal background
- The ranking makes Harborne the richest person in the North of England and Yorkshire, reportedly richer than the rest of Yorkshire’s top 10 combined.
- Although listed as the wealthiest British-born person on the 2026 Rich List, Harborne has lived in Thailand for more than two decades and holds Thai citizenship under the name Chakrit Sakunkrit.
Political links and donations
- Harborne has emerged as a major financial backer of Nigel Farage and Reform UK, donating about $16.1 million to the party. That total includes a roughly $12.1 million contribution late last year that was billed as the largest single political donation by a living individual in British history.
- The controversy centers on a separate reported $6.7 million (about £5 million) gift to Farage that predated his candidacy in the 2024 general election.
Parliamentary inquiry and responses
- The UK’s Parliamentary Standards Commissioner opened an investigation into whether Farage should have declared the $6.7 million gift. Parliament lists the matter as an active Rule 5 investigation for “failure to register an interest,” with no ruling published yet.
- Farage has said the money was an “unconditional, non-political, personal gift” intended to pay for his security and that he was under “no obligation” to register it. In media interviews he described it as a “reward for campaigning for Brexit for 27 years” and denied any sale of his views, citing an alleged offer from Elon Musk he says he refused.
- The Guardian later reported that Farage bought a roughly $1.9 million property in cash shortly after receiving the gift. Reform UK says the purchase process and proof-of-funds checks began before the gift was made.
- Parliamentary rules require new MPs to register current financial interests and any registrable benefits received in the 12 months before their election within one month.
What this means for crypto watchers
- Harborne’s Rich List ascent highlights how large private stakes in major crypto firms can rapidly translate into headline-making personal wealth on mainstream lists.
- The unfolding inquiry also demonstrates the regulatory and reputational scrutiny that can follow when deep crypto-linked funding intersects with high-profile politics.
Decrypt has contacted Harborne and Farage for comment; this report will be updated if they respond.
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