London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Aug 02, 2025

David Cameron said to have made about $10m from Greensill Capital

David Cameron said to have made about $10m from Greensill Capital

BBC Panorama says it has obtained documents showing ex-PM received sum partly from cashing in shares
David Cameron made about $10m (£7m) from Greensill Capital before the finance firm he lobbied on behalf of collapsed, according to the BBC.

Panorama said it had obtained documents showing the former prime minister received the sum from cashing in shares he held in the company worth $4.5m (about £3.3m) in 2019, in addition to an annual salary of $1m (£720,000).

His spokesperson said he did not “receive anything like the figures quoted” and insisted what he was paid was a “private matter”.

It is the first time a number has been put on how much Cameron made, after he told a government-commissioned inquiry set up to investigate his dealings with senior politicians and Whitehall officials that he was paid “a good amount of money”.

The review, chaired by Nigel Boardman, cleared him of breaking any rules but said Cameron “understated” the nature of his relationship with Lex Greensill when pressing for the Australian financier’s company to get the largest possible allocation of government-backed loans under the Covid corporate financing facility.

Panorama said it had seen papers showing Cameron had accepted the terms of his payment by Greensill, with a $700,000 (£504,000) bonus to top up his salary paid out in 2019 – taking the total amount he made to $10m for two-and-a-half years’ part-time work.

Cameron’s spokesperson said he “acted in good faith at all times” and there was “no wrongdoing in any of the actions he took”, adding he had “no idea” until December 2020 that Greensill was in danger of failing.

They said he lobbied the government “not just because he thought it would benefit the company, but because he sincerely believed there would be a material benefit for UK businesses at a challenging time”.

The spokesperson added Panorama’s report tried to “define a role for Cameron at Greensill that is totally at odds with the facts” and that he was a part-time adviser to the company with no executive or board responsibilities.

Labour’s deputy leader, Angela Rayner, said the sum Cameron reportedly received was “utterly ludicrous”. Referencing Boardman’s finding that current lobbying rules “work well”, Rayner said the payments Cameron received showed the regulation in place on former ministers’ work was “completely unfit for purpose”.

She said: “It’s created a wild west where the Conservatives think it’s one rule for them and another for everyone else. The system causes more harm than good by giving a veil of legitimacy to the rampant cronyism, sleaze and dodgy lobbying that is polluting our democracy under Boris Johnson and the Conservatives.”

Labour would ban former prime ministers from ever taking on lobbying jobs once they leave office and create an integrity and ethics commission to “stamp out sleaze”, Rayner added.

Cameron’s dealings with Greensill first came under scrutiny earlier this year, when he was revealed to have directly lobbied senior Whitehall officials and the chancellor, Rishi Sunak.

Greensill collapsed earlier this year, but before it did Cameron sent emails and texts to high-ranking politicians and civil servants and also took Lex Greensill to a “private drink” with Matt Hancock, the health secretary.

So embedded was Lex Greensill in the government, he had even been given a No 10 business card calling him a “senior adviser” during Cameron’s tenure in Downing Street.

The government’s chief commercial officer, Bill Crothers, began working as an adviser to Greensill Capital in 2015 – while still employed in the civil service. Remarkably, he was given official approval to do this.

In the Boardman review published last month, Greensill was found to have been given “extraordinarily privileged” access to Downing Street. But the finger of blame was partly pointed at the late cabinet secretary, Jeremy Heywood.

But critics said Boardman should not have been in charge of the inquiry because of his close relationship with the government and the Conservative party. He had been a non-executive director at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and was a former Tory party candidate.

In April, Cameron accepted that he should have communicated with the government “through only the most formal of channels” rather than text messages to Sunak.

When the final report was published that found Cameron “did not breach the current lobbying rules and his actions were not unlawful”, the former Tory leader said: “I have said all along that there are lessons to be learned, and I agree on the need for more formal lines of communication.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Trump Administration Finalizes Broad Tariff Increases on Global Trade Partners
J.K. Rowling Limits Public Engagements Citing Safety Fears
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
×