The Boris Files: Leaked documents reveal ex-PM’s lucrative post-office dealings
More than 1,800 documents obtained and reviewed by The Guardian shed light on how Boris Johnson turned diplomatic contacts and public funds into a private business empire, raising serious questions about ethics and lobbying rules.
A major leak from Boris Johnson’s private office has exposed how the former UK prime minister has profited from contacts and influence gained during his time in Downing Street. The cache – dubbed The Boris Files – was obtained by the non-profit group Distributed Denial of Secrets (DDoS) and shared with The Guardian, the only UK outlet known to have reviewed the trove. The files suggest Johnson blurred the lines between taxpayer-funded allowances and his private ventures, in ways that may breach “revolving door” rules governing former ministers.
According to the files, Johnson lobbied a senior Saudi official to pass on a business pitch to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and received more than £200,000 from a hedge fund after meeting Venezuela’s president Nicolás Maduro — contradicting previous denials. The trove also reveals that while still in office, Johnson held a secret meeting with US billionaire Peter Thiel, months before Thiel’s data company Palantir secured an NHS data contract.
Covid breach and Downing Street donor
The documents allege Johnson hosted a dinner for a Conservative peer who financed the lavish refurbishment of his Downing Street flat, just one day after the UK’s second national Covid lockdown came into effect — in apparent violation of pandemic restrictions.
Taxpayer funds under scrutiny
Under the Public Duty Costs Allowance (PDCA), former prime ministers can claim six-figure annual subsidies to support their public duties. Since leaving office in September 2022, Johnson has claimed £182,000 through this scheme. Yet the files indicate his office used this allowance to cover staff salaries while simultaneously managing lucrative commercial work — including contracts with the Daily Mail and GB News.
A global speaking circuit worth millions
Between October 2022 and May 2024, Johnson reportedly earned about £5.1m from 34 paid speeches, each commanding hundreds of thousands of pounds plus first-class travel and luxury hotels. While ex-leaders often secure speaking engagements, watchdog rules bar them from lobbying contacts made in office on behalf of private firms — restrictions Johnson was reminded of the day he left Downing Street.
Guardian exclusive and political fallout
The Guardian reports that the Boris Files bear striking resemblance to the Greensill Capital scandal that engulfed David Cameron, raising fresh concerns about the blurred boundary between public office and private gain. With revelations of foreign lobbying, secret meetings and taxpayer-funded perks, Johnson now faces mounting pressure to explain whether his activities crossed the line of ethics and legality.
