Nigel Farage's failed bid to reach the Chagos Islands was funded by crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne, according to major media reports. Harborne, a Thai-based crypto-currency billionaire also known by the Thai name Chakrit Sakunkrit, footed the bill for Farage's £12,500 seat on a private jet. Farage flew to the Maldives last month on that jet, claiming he traveled with supplies as a humanitarian aid mission.
He posted on social media that he had been blocked from going to the Chagos Islands, alleging in a video on X that the UK Government is applying pressure on the Maldives to stop him. In an entry on his Register of Interests, Farage said the seat on the return flight cost £12,500. Questions have been asked if his video crew and team members were also gifted seats.
It's just a very bad look for somebody who said everything was going to change.
The mission aimed to establish a colony in the Chagossians' former homeland, with Farage flying to join a delegation carrying food and medicine to support four Chagossians attempting to set up a permanent base. Former Tory defence secretary Ben Wallace said the Chagos Islands site is a sensitive military base, adding that granting access would be akin to having open days around the trident warhead or open house for the SAS. The Foreign Office website states the British Indian Ocean Territory is not a tourist destination, with no commercial flights, restricted access, and a permit required.
Harborne has been a major donor to Reform, donating £3 million in the last quarter of 2025 and making a record £9 million gift in the summer of 2025. Campaign groups including Spotlight on Corruption and Transparency International have renewed calls for a cap on political donations.
The British Indian Ocean Territory is not a tourist destination. There are no commercial flights, access is restricted and you need a permit before you travel.