As he boarded the night train to Ukraine, Boris Johnson had the usual entourage of aides and bodyguards – plus the man who had given him £1m.
Less than a year had passed since Johnson accepted what is thought to be the largest donation ever to an individual MP. It was from Christopher Harborne, one of the UK’s biggest and most private political donors.
Harborne, whose millions helped bankroll Brexit, made the payment to a private company Johnson set up after resigning as prime minister. Now leaked files show that Johnson, a champion of Ukraine in office and since, was accompanied in September 2023 by his benefactor on a two-day visit that included meetings with top officials.
What the files do not explain is why. And neither the former prime minister nor his backer will say.
The documents proving Johnson’s shady connections to Harborne were hacked (aka purloined) by Distributed Denial of Secrets and can be found here. According to the documents, the relationship between Johnson and Harborne has quite a history.
Christopher Harborne (also known as Chakrit Sakunkrit in Thailand) is a Thai-based British businessman, technology investor, and major political donor. He is the largest single shareholder in QinetiQ, a UK defense firm supplying drones and robotics to Ukraine, and holds stakes in cryptocurrency ventures like Digifinex (parent of Bitfinex and Tether). His relationship with Boris Johnson, former UK Prime Minister (2019–2022), is primarily that of a financial backer and personal associate, marked by a record £1 million donation and close collaboration post-Johnson’s resignation. This has fueled speculation about influence-peddling, especially regarding Ukraine policy, amid leaked Boris Files documents.
Key Aspects of Their Relationship
Financial Support:
Harborne donated £1 million to The Office of Boris Johnson Ltd (Johnson’s private company) in November 2022, shortly after Johnson’s ousting as PM. This is the largest single donation ever recorded to an individual UK MP. Prior ties include smaller annual donations (~£15,000) to the Conservative Party since 2001, and £1 million total to the party in 2022 (split into two £500,000 gifts). The funds reportedly support Johnson’s post-PM activities, such as speeches and office operations, though critics question ties to political ambitions or lobbying.
Personal and Professional Ties:
Johnson has publicly described Harborne as “both a friend and a supporter of my office” in a signed letter dated October 23, 2023. The two had frequent private interactions… Leaked files reveal two dinners in Singapore, a 30-minute “Ukraine briefing” meeting in January 2023, and regular “Ukraine readouts.” Harborne was registered as an “adviser, Office of Boris Johnson” during joint activities, granting him access to high-level networks.
Joint Activities in Ukraine:
In September 2023, Harborne accompanied Johnson on a two-day trip to Ukraine, including meetings with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Yalta European Strategy forum in Kyiv and Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyy in Lviv. Itinerary notes included “Boris and Chris only” for select sessions and a “closed meeting at a military-tech R&D center,” aligning with Harborne’s defense interests (QinetiQ secured an £80 million UK MoD contract in January 2023 for Ukraine-related tech). The trip occurred less than a year after the donation, raising questions about Harborne’s motives, given QinetiQ’s supply of drones and bomb-disposal robots to Ukrainian forces.
The recent leaks from the Boris Files (hacked documents shared via Distributed Denial of Secrets) have intensified scrutiny, with The Guardian (October 10, 2025) alleging that the donation and trip inspired Johnson to prolong the Ukraine’s conflict for arms industry gains that benefited his buddy, Mr. Harborne. Harborne’s representative stated he had “no expectation of personal gain.” Right… If you believe that, please contact me and I will sell you a slightly used bridge in New York City that spans the East River. I accept gold or bitcoin as payment.
I will close with a video that I think aptly sums up the situation:
Source: Sonar 21.
