Nigel Farage's allies and key Reform UK figures, notably convicted criminal George Cottrell and billionaire donor Christopher Harborne, have established a network of businesses in Montenegro. Cottrell, who calls Farage "daddy," moved to Tivat, Montenegro, after serving an eight-month prison sentence in the US for wire fraud. His private family office, Private Family Office, operates from a nondescript building in Tivat, a town of 11,000 people. This same address houses companies belonging to Harborne, who has donated £15 million to Reform UK and a £5 million "private" gift to Farage, as well as firms linked to former Brexit Party communications lead Gawain Towler, former Brexit Party treasurer Mehrtash A’zami, and Brexit digital expert Samee Bhatti.
Montenegro offers a haven for these individuals due to its perceived lack of scrutiny from British authorities and its flourishing, unregulated crypto and property markets. An investigation by BIRN revealed that approximately $2.2 billion in crypto transactions passed through Montenegro-linked wallets between November 2021 and 2022 with little state oversight. Cottrell is a "key player" in Tether.bet, a crypto gambling platform acquired by GT Holdings, a company based in the tax haven of Curaçao. The country also provides attractive conditions for real estate, with luxury properties available and residency permits obtainable in just two weeks.
Cottrell's influence extends to direct support for Farage, including "in-kind" benefits such as covering Farage's back office, security, staff, transport, and accommodation. He also paid £15,276.72 to fly Farage to a Trump fundraising event and covered flights and hotels totaling £9,253.60 for Farage and a staff member to attend a conference in Belgium. Cottrell, along with Towler, has faced accusations of illegally backing Montenegrin Prime Minister Milojko Spajic, allegations both deny. A crypto-ATM linked by a Montenegrin minister to Cottrell was seized from a casino owned by one of his business associates, further highlighting the unregulated nature of their operations in the country.
