For Trump, Musk and Farage, the message is the same: voters don’t want to be hijacked by billionaires | Rafael Behr
Summary
The article compares billionaire political spending in the United States and the United Kingdom, focusing on Elon Musk’s spending on Republican candidates and large cryptocurrency-linked donations to Reform UK. It reports that Musk’s spending did not secure the desired election results and that concerns about Nigel Farage’s financial dealings have become a hurdle for his party.Key Facts
- Musk reportedly spent $224 million supporting Republican candidates in Texas and another $250 million on races elsewhere.
- James Talarico became the first Democrat to win a Senate seat in Texas since 1988; his campaign opposed Musk’s involvement.
- The Electoral Commission reported that parties and campaign groups spent a combined £94.5 million in the year before the last UK general election.
- Christopher Harborne gave Farage £5 million shortly before Farage ran for Parliament in 2024; Farage did not register the gift after being elected and denies wrongdoing.
- Harborne gave Reform UK £9 million in 2025 and £36 million in 2026, according to the article.
- Ben Delo, another cryptocurrency billionaire, gave Reform UK £36 million days before Harborne’s 2026 donation.
- A parliamentary standards commissioner is expected to issue a decision on the £5 million gift; a finding against Farage could lead to a Commons suspension and a recall petition.
- A More in Common survey found that perceptions of Farage as sleazy or corrupt were an obstacle to support, including among a group the firm calls “dissenting disruptors.”
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