Christopher Charles Sherriff Harborne (born December 1962) is a British businessman and technology investor based in Thailand. A University of Cambridge and INSEAD graduate, his donations have enabled the founding of INSEAD San Francisco and the creation of a blockchain research fund. He has also donated to Britain's Conservative Party and more recently has been a major donor to Britain's Brexit Party, donating more than £6 million in 2019.[1] As well as personal donations to Reform UK's Nigel Farage. [2]
Christopher Harborne | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 1962 (age 61–62) |
| Nationality | British |
| Other names | Chakrit Sakunkrit |
| Citizenship | United Kingdom, Thailand |
| Education | Westminster School |
| Alma mater | Downing College, Cambridge INSEAD |
| Title | Chief Executive Officer |
| Board member of | Sherriff Global Group |
He also holds Thai citizenship under the name Chakrit Sakunkrit.[3]
Early life and education
editChristopher Harborne was born in December 1962. He was educated at Westminster School and is a graduate of Downing College, University of Cambridge, from where he received the degrees of MA, MEng and MBA.[4] He also received an MBA from the Institut européen d'administration des affaires (INSEAD) in 1988.[5]
Career
editHarborne worked for five years as a management consultant at McKinsey and Co., before running a research company in Asia. He describes himself as an "investor in new tech, including open software blockchain platforms".[6][7] He is the CEO of Sherriff Global Group which trades in private planes, and the owner of AML Global, a firm that sells aviation fuel.[8] He has made a donation to enable the founding of INSEAD San Francisco and to create a Blockchain Research Fund.[5] He has set up a company, Singular AI Consulting Limited, with crypto-currency miner Marco Streng.[6] As of December 2019, he is based in Thailand.[6][9]
Political donations
editHarborne donated more than £6m to the Brexit Party in 2019,[6] £3 million in the summer[8] and £3 million before the United Kingdom general election in 2019,[6] making him the largest donor that year.[9] His sister Katharine, a scientist and artist who was previously a councillor for the Conservative Party, has been a candidate for the Brexit Party.[10] Before switching his donations to the Brexit Party,[11] Harborne had donated smaller sums, averaging £15,000 per annum since 2001, to the Conservative Party. In November 2022, Harborne donated £1 million to The Office of Boris Johnson Ltd, one of the biggest donations ever made to an individual British politician.[12]
References
edit- ^ "Tories raised three times as much as Labour in pre-election donations". the Guardian. 27 February 2020. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
- ^ https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmregmem/240804/farage_nigel.htm@ [bare URL]
- ^ Zorzut, Adrian (22 September 2020). "Nigel Farage refuses to answer questions about £10m Brexit Party donor with two separate identities". The New European. Archived from the original on 1 October 2020. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
- ^ Christopher Harborne. Downing College Cambridge. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
- ^ a b Christopher Harborne MBA’88J makes founding gift for INSEAD San Francisco and supports blockchain research. INSEAD. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
- ^ a b c d e "Man in the Eye: Christopher Harborne", Private Eye, No. 1511, 13 December 2019, p. 10.
- ^ Christopher Harborne: Brexit Party’s bankroller has a Thai doppelgänger. Dominic Kennedy & Oliver Wright, The Times, 27 November 2019. Retrieved 15 December 2019. (subscription required)
- ^ a b Former Tory donor gave Brexit Party £3m donation, new figures reveal. Alain Tolhurst, PoliticsHome, 26 November 2019. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
- ^ a b General election 2019: Who is paying for the election? Mark D'Arcy, BBC News, 7 December 2019. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
- ^ Tories have betrayed us, says Brexit election candidate. Henley Standard, 6 September 2019. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
- ^ Brexit Party receives more than £1m in donations amid speculation over snap election. Lizzy Buchan, The Independent, 29 August 2019. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
- ^ "Boris Johnson given £1m donation by former Brexit party backer". the Guardian. 12 January 2023. Retrieved 17 January 2023.