UK Bill to Cap Crypto Billionaire's Political Donations at $132k

A UK bill aimed at foreign interference would cap overseas political donations at $132,000 a year and ban cryptocurrency contributions entirely, officials told the Guardian. The legislation threatens to sever the financial pipeline that has made Thailand-based crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne Reform UK's biggest backer.

Harborne, who operates under the Thai name Chakrit Sakunkrit, has poured nearly $20 million into the party over the past year. He also gave a separate $6.6 million personal gift to leader Nigel Farage–a transaction now under investigation by the parliamentary standards watchdog.

When pressed on how the money was spent, Farage told reporters it was "not any of your business" and said he could "spend it on Ferraris if I want."

Harborne recently registered a UK voting address in Hampshire, an apparent attempt to sidestep the coming limits. The Representation of the People Bill, built on the Rycroft Review into foreign financial interference, targets actual residency rather than voter registration. Local council officials will decide whether a donor is "normally resident" in the UK. Since Harborne has lived in Thailand for more than five years, his maximum annual contribution drops from millions to $132,000.