Christopher Harborne entered the Sunday Times Rich List 2026 in sixth place with an estimated fortune of £18.2 billion, while a parliamentary investigation has been opened involving Nigel Farage.
Most of Harborne’s wealth is linked to his reported 12% stake in Tether, the stablecoin issuer estimated to be valued at around $200 billion.
Harborne, who has lived in Thailand for more than 20 years and also holds Thai citizenship under the name Chakrit Sakunkrit, was described as the wealthiest British-born individual on the 2026 list.
The release of the rich list came at the same time as a formal inquiry launched by the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner. The investigation will examine whether Farage failed to properly declare a £5 million gift from Harborne before the 2024 election.
Farage has defended the payment, saying it was an unconditional personal gift used to fund his security costs. He also claimed the money was “a reward for campaigning for Brexit for 27 years.” A property purchase worth around £1.4 million made shortly after receiving the funds had already attracted separate attention.
Harborne has become one of the biggest financial supporters of Reform UK. Reports say he has donated more than £22 million to the party since it was founded.
In August 2025, Harborne reportedly made a £9 million donation to Reform UK, which was described as the largest single political donation ever made by a living individual in British history. Reform UK also became the first Westminster political party to publicly accept cryptocurrency donations.
The scrutiny around Harborne’s links to Farage goes beyond the parliamentary investigation. In April, the Liberal Democrats asked the Financial Conduct Authority to review Farage’s connection to Bitcoin treasury company Stack BTC after he appeared in promotional material while reportedly holding a 6.31% stake in the company.
If the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner concludes that rules were broken, possible penalties could include a formal apology, suspension from the House of Commons, or even a by-election in Clacton.
