Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), well-known for his espousal of socialist economist policies, recently blasted the billionaire class for buying not only American politicians but also "right-wi
Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), well-known for his espousal of socialist economist policies, recently blasted the billionaire class for buying not only American politicians but also "right-wing parties" globally.
In his X post on Sep. 13, he highlighted the recent Wall Street Journal report around two crypto billionaires donating $97 million to the British politician Nigel Farage's Reform UK.
Oligarchy is not just an American issue. It is global. The billionaires are not just buying American politicians, they are funding right-wing parties all over the world — including the UK Reform Party. Democracy means one person, one vote. The ultra-rich must not be allowed to… pic.twitter.com/T4wqcHteZC
— Sen. Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) September 13, 2026
Billionaire Ben Delo, the British co-founder of crypto derivatives exchange BitMEX, recently donated approximately $48.7 million to Reform UK, per a report. It was the largest donation to a political party in British history at that point.
Delo, along with Arthur Hayes and Samuel Reed, co-founded BitMEX in 2014.
In February 2022, he pleaded guilty to violating the Bank Secrecy Act in the U.S. by willfully failing to establish and maintain adequate anti-money laundering norms at the crypto exchange. He agreed to pay a $10 million criminal fine and was later sentenced to 30 months of probation.
But U.S. President Donald Trump pardoned Delo and the other two BitMex founders in March 2025.
Following Delo's donation, billionaire Christopher Harborne also donated approximately $48.7 million to Reform UK.
Harborne is also a British businessman and technology investor who owns a significant stake in the stablecoin giant, Tether.
While Harborne is a citizen of the UK and Thailand, Delo recently moved back to Britain from Hong Kong.
Farage said Delo and Harborne “know that we are the only party that can turn the country around and win the next general election – thanks to their generosity, we are now able to fight that election on a level playing field.”
The latest donations from the two crypto billionaires to Reform UK within a span of 24 hours stand at more than $97 million.
Farage is among Trump's top allies in Europe and supported the U.S. president during the 2016, 2020, and 2024 presidential elections.
As reported earlier, the Reform UK leader also took a leaf from Trump's book and promised a Bitcoin reserve if he becomes the prime minister.
