NIGEL Farage has claimed that he could spend a £5 million donation he received from a Thailand-based crypto billionaire "on Ferraris" if he wishes, telling a journalist that it is "none of your business" what he does with it.
Christopher Harborne, a British businessman based in Thailand donated more than £12m to Reform UK in 2025, as well as the seven-figure sum directly to Farage the year before, which the Clacton MP has said was to help fund his personal security.
Farage received the gift before he announced he would stand in the General Election, which meant it was not taxed or declared to the parliamentary authorities, as it did not count as a political donation.
However, he has since been reported to the parliamentary watchdog, which is investigating if he has broken the House of Commons code of conduct by not disclosing the donation.
The investigation relates to rule five of the MPs' code of conduct, which states new members need to register relevant financial interests received in the 12 months before their election within one month of entering parliament.
If he is found to have breached this, he could face sanctions including a suspension from the House of Commons, or expulsion that could trigger a recall petition and a by-election in his seat.
Farage has maintained that he has not broken any rules, saying the donation was not political in nature and therefore not relevant.
On Tuesday morning he claimed that "no one cares" about a £5 million donation he received from a Thailand-based crypto billionaire, insisting he has "done nothing wrong".
Speaking on TalkTV, he was questioned about the nature of the "gift", with presenter Julia Hartley-Brewer saying "most people think of a gift as a bottle of champagne, a box of chocolates, not five million quid," asking if the Reform UK leader understands "why most of us find it absolutely impossible to believe that somebody who lives on the opposite side of the world, no matter how much he loves Brexit..., would go 'you know what Nige, here's five million quid no strings attached.'"
Farage went on to equate the donation to an inheritance, saying it is not absurd to obtain a huge lump-sum of money.
On further questioning on if the donation was a gift or a reward, or if it was for his security, he said "it was an unconditional gift, I can spend it on Ferraris if I wish to," telling Hartley-Brewer that it is "none of your business" on if it was actually spent on security or luxury cars.
On the same day he told GB News that he received "nothing" in return for the £5m, adding that he will use the money to fund protection "which the state has always failed to provide me".
He was later asked while on BBC Breakfast how much of the gift had been spent, to which Farage said: “It’s none of your business.”
Discussing the donation, Farage went on say that “no one cares, apart from the media, no one cares”.
The Reform UK leader said: “I’m absolutely convinced I’ve done nothing wrong in any way at all. I also know that since I was elected as an MP, I’ve taken zero in personal expenses. I’m very careful and very cautious about these things.
“I believe it to be a wholly private matter. The standards commissioner may take a different view.”
Asked what the gift was for, Farage said: “Let’s be clear, it’s an unconditional gift. I can spend it on cars if I want to. It’s entirely up to me, right.
“But there is a specific reason for this. I have been physically the most attacked and endangered politician in Britain for now well over a decade. At every stage during that time, when I’ve asked the state to help and support, most times they have point blank refused.”
When asked again about the donation probe, he told LBC: “I was given the money unconditionally. I believe it was a reward for giving up a quarter of a century of my life, giving up a huge income in the City of London, putting up with lots of abuse.
“I believe that was the motive, whether it was or not, that is that side of the equation.
“The other side of the equation is what I intend to do with that. I’ve made that perfectly clear.”
A Reform UK spokesperson previously said: “Mr Farage’s office is in communications with the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards.
“He has always been clear that this was a personal, unconditional gift and no rules were broken.
“We look forward to this being put to bed once and for all.”
