- Reform UK aide George Cottrell has placed a $41,000 bet against a U.S.-Iran ceasefire before July 2026 on prediction market Polymarket, which currently shows an unrealized loss.
- Tether shareholder and military firm investor Christopher Harborne is a major donor to Nigel Farage’s party, with contributions exceeding $29.6 million.
- Farage recently Bitcoin-reform-uk-crypto-stack-btc” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>invested $289,000 in a bitcoin holdings firm founded by former chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng.
A key aide to Reform UK leader Nigel Farage is wagering tens of thousands on the continuation of the U.S. war with Iran, even as the party publicly calls for peace. George Cottrell, described by Farage as being “like a son to me,” bet $41,000 that a ceasefire won’t occur before June 30, 2026, according to activity on Polymarket. However, the bet faces a current unrealized loss of $6,240 as the market disagrees.
This private gamble starkly contrasts with Reform UK‘s recent public u-turn, where politicians like Robert Jenrick called for the conflict to end. Cottrell’s past includes a 2017 wire fraud conviction and he reportedly lost €20 million in a single poker game. Meanwhile, his political losses are also mounting, with other Polymarket bets losing over $800,000, though they pale against a previous $13.2 million win on Donald Trump’s election.
Consequently, Farage’s connections to cryptocurrency interests continue to deepen. The party’s primary financial backer is Tether shareholder Christopher Harborne, who has donated over $29.6 million. Harborne was also linked to the private jet used for Farage’s failed trip to the Chagos Islands. Furthermore, Farage recently invested $289,000 in former chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng’s bitcoin firm, as reported.
Harborne is notably the largest shareholder in military contractor QinetQ, which has secured major U.S. and UK defense contracts. The firm’s U.S. arm was awarded part of a $4 billion contract and given $41 million for counter-drone tech. However, Reuters reported the division is now restructuring due to profitability challenges from geopolitical uncertainty.
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