Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson Received £1 Million Donation From Thai Crypto Investor

Former UK prime minister Boris Johnson received a £1 million donation from a Thailand-based cryptocurrency investor, parliamentary documents have revealed.

The register of interests, published on Friday 13 January, showed that Johnson's company Boris Johnson Ltd., received the donation from Christopher Harborne. It also showed that Johnson earned £250,000 for a speech held at blockchain company ParallelChain Lab in Singapore.

According to news website Protos, Christopher Harborne is a pseudonym used by Chakrit Sakunkrit, a Digifinex stakeholder who funded the Brexit campaign to the tune of £15 million.

A source close to Johnson said the money would go towards supporting his activities as a former prime minister and not towards a possible new run for the premiership. 

The office was also keen to make the distinction between funds to the former PM and funds to his office. The £1 million donation was to his office, and has not gone straight into Johnson's pocket, they explained.

Boris Johnson has reportedly made around £1 million giving speeches since he stepped down as PM in July 2022, and the boss of machinery firm JCB donated more than £20,000 to cover his wedding costs.