Ben Delo
British businessman, BitMEX co-founder, pardoned by Donald Trump in March 2025.
Ben Delo gave Reform UK £36m, announced on 11 September 2026 and paid upfront to cover the years to 2029, PA Media reported; the gift will not appear on the Electoral Commission register until early December.
Last refreshed: 7 October 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Why does Ben Delo's £4m gift to Reform UK escape the new crypto-donation ban?
Timeline for Ben Delo
Mentioned in: Peers table four caps on party donors
UK Local Elections 2026Gave Reform UK £36m, paid upfront
UK Local Elections 2026: Delo and Harborne give Reform £72mGave Reform UK £4m in cash across two gifts
UK Local Elections 2026: Delo's £4m arrived as cash, not cryptoBackground
Ben Delo is a British businessman and co-founder of the Cryptocurrency exchange BitMEX. In 2022 he pleaded guilty to a US Bank Secrecy Act charge over BitMEX's anti-money-laundering failures and received 30 months' probation. Donald Trump pardoned him in March 2025.
His gifts to Reform UK in April 2026 came by cheque, not in cryptoassets: £1m accepted on 17 April 2026 and £3m on 30 April. Those £4m made him the source of most of the £5,437,360 Reform banked between April and June, more than any rival party.
His £36m gift in September, reported by PA Media, is nine times those April cheques combined.
Delo funds Reform UK to 2029
PA Media reported on 11 September 2026 that Delo had given Reform UK £36m. Citing The Telegraph, it described the gift as £1m a month to the latest possible 2029 election date, paid upfront "to avoid attempts to block it". Christopher Harborne gave the party £36m the next day and said Delo's gift had prompted his own. Neither gift is yet on the Electoral Commission register.
Peers are now weighing donation caps on the Representation of the People Bill. Lord Cromwell's £100,000-per-five-years limit or Lord Carlile of Berriew's £5m a year would each stop one donor giving what Delo gave in September. As tabled, none of the four caps would reach gifts made before the Act takes effect.
How much did Ben Delo give Reform UK?
Why doesn't the new crypto-donation ban cover Ben Delo's gift?
Was Ben Delo pardoned?
Written with AI from Lowdown's published reporting. Not individually reviewed by an editor. Updated 7 October 2026. Editorial standards.