Farage’s Davos Trip Funded by Iranian-Born Billionaire, Raising Questions for Reform UK
A $10 billion family trust linked to an Iranian-born billionaire funded the travel and accommodations for Reform UK leader Nigel Farage during his recent trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, according to a report from The Guardian. The revelation casts a spotlight on the financial connections of the prominent politician who has publicly railed against the “globalists” he encountered at the annual summit.
Farage spent this week at Davos delivering speeches where he pledged to tax banks and challenge the established international order. However, official program listings for the World Economic Forum identified him as a member of parliament and a representative of HP Trust, the “family office” of Sasan Ghandehari, boasting a portfolio exceeding $10 billion (£7.4 billion).
A representative for the trust confirmed that Ghandehari, a venture capitalist, extended an invitation to Farage as an honorary and unpaid advisor to his impact investment portfolio, which focuses on philanthropic endeavors, particularly in the Middle East. The representative further stated that Ghandehari covered all costs associated with Farage’s participation in the World Economic Forum, including registration fees and hotel expenses.
Ghandehari, now a British citizen, is the son of the late Hourieh Peramaa, an Iranian-Kazakh billionaire who once owned a £50 million London property. He is also an art collector currently involved in legal action against Christie’s auction house regarding the authenticity of a Picasso painting previously owned by an individual with a criminal record.
Reform UK has acknowledged the financial support but maintains that Farage does not work for HP Trust and that all relevant declarations will be filed as required. “Any declarations about who had paid for the trip would be registered in due course,” a party spokesperson stated.
This connection to HP Trust is not the only financial link between Reform UK and the Ghandehari family. Earlier this year, the Electoral Commission reported that a relatively unknown design firm, Interior Architecture Landscape, donated £200,000 to Reform UK in two separate installments. Planning documents from 2015 reveal that this company acted as the representative for a property connected to the Ghandehari family.
On Friday, Interior Architecture Landscape confirmed to The Guardian that the Ghandehari family are among its clients. A company spokesperson asserted that the £200,000 donation was a decision made independently by the company’s management and not at the behest of the Ghandehari family.
A spokesperson for Ghandehari echoed this sentiment, stating that the family are clients of Interior Architecture Landscape but were not involved in the donation. The Interior Architecture Landscape spokesperson further detailed the company’s operations: “We confirm that the company has, in aggregate, approximately £15 million in active contracts, including maintenance, refurbishment, and fit-out works, in relation to several properties across the United Kingdom.” They added, “All members of the company’s management, its decision-makers and its clients are British citizens, and that the company conducts legitimate business activities within the United Kingdom. Accordingly, any political donations made by the company are fully compliant with applicable electoral law.”
The spokesperson concluded, “Separately, the company’s management made a commercial and values-based decision to donate to Reform UK, reflecting the company’s view that Reform UK is seeking to improve the sectors in which the company operates.” John Richard Simpson is listed as the company’s person of significant control on Companies House.
The confluence of these financial ties raises questions about the source of funding for Reform UK and the potential influence of wealthy donors on the party’s political agenda, particularly given Farage’s vocal criticism of global elites and financial institutions. The situation underscores the complexities of political funding and the challenges of maintaining transparency in modern campaigns.
