Christopher Harborne
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] He also holds Thai citizenship under the name Chakrit Sakunkrit.[2]
Christopher Harborne | |
---|---|
Born | December 1962 (age 58) |
Nationality | British |
Other names | Chakrit Sakunkrit |
Citizenship | United Kingdom, Thailand |
Education | Westminster School |
Alma mater | |
Title | Chief Executive Officer |
Board member of | Sherriff Global Group |
Relatives | Katharine Harborne |
Early life and education
Christopher 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.[3] He also received an MBA from the Institut Européen d'Administration des Affaires (INSEAD) in 1988.[4]
Career
Harborne 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".[5][6] 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.[7] He has made a donation to enable the founding of INSEAD San Francisco and to create a Blockchain Research Fund.[4] He has set up a company, Singular AI Consulting Limited, with crypto-currency miner Marco Streng.[5] As of December 2019, he is based in Thailand.[5][8]
Political donations
Harborne donated more than £6m to Britain's Brexit Party in 2019,[5] £3 million in the summer[7] and £3 million before the British 2019 General Election,[5] making him the largest donor in 2019.[8] His sister Katharine, a scientist and artist who was previously a councillor for the Conservative Party, has been a candidate for the Brexit Party.[9] Before switching his donations to the Brexit Party,[10] Harborne had donated smaller sums, averaging £15,000 per annum since 2001, to the Conservative Party.[5]
References
- "Tories raised three times as much as Labour in pre-election donations". the Guardian. 27 February 2020. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
- Zorzut, Adrian (22 September 2020). "Nigel Farage refuses to answer questions about £10m Brexit Party donor with two separate identities". The New European. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
- Christopher Harborne. Downing College Cambridge. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
- Christopher Harborne MBA’88J makes founding gift for INSEAD San Francisco and supports blockchain research. INSEAD. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
- "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)
- Former Tory donor gave Brexit Party £3m donation, new figures reveal. Alain Tolhurst, PoliticsHome, 26 November 2019. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
- 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.