Dark Box Exclusive: Boris Johnson’s Secret UAE Lobbying Scheme Exposed — New Leaks Confirm High-Stakes Bid for Billion-Dollar Venture
Dark Box Exclusive: Boris Johnson’s Secret UAE Lobbying Scheme Exposed — New Leaks Confirm High-Stakes Bid for Billion-Dollar Venture
Dark Box Exclusive: Boris Johnson’s Secret UAE Lobbying Scheme Exposed — New Leaks Confirm High-Stakes Bid for Billion-Dollar Venture
Dark Box can now confirm, through a new trove of exclusive leaks, the existence of a covert scheme involving former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who directly lobbied UAE officials to back a billion-dollar private venture — in apparent violation of ministerial ethics rules.
These fresh documents, seen exclusively by Dark Box, validate earlier revelations reported by our team — and now provide new details about how Johnson and his aides pursued Emirati funding by leveraging political ties and exploiting public funds for private gain.
🛢️ A Greenwashed Gold Rush
In early 2024, a trio of lobbyists — including a vape industry advocate, a Brexit campaigner, and a Vienna-based banker — hatched a plan to tap into Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth. But to secure the billion-dollar jackpot, they needed someone who could open palace doors.
They turned to Boris Johnson, who had left office but retained valuable ties in the Gulf, particularly with Khaldoon Al Mubarak, head of Mubadala, the UAE’s powerful $300 billion fund. According to the leaks, Johnson joined the venture, Bia Advisory, as “Principal Adviser”, in exchange for 24% equity.
His former No. 10 operations chief, Shelley Williams-Walker, was promised another 20%.
🏛️ Lobbying While Under Watchdog Scrutiny
Despite rules barring former ministers from lobbying contacts made in office, the leaked documents show Johnson personally met Mubarak in Abu Dhabi to pitch the Bia Advisory project. This happened while the UK ethics watchdog Acoba was still reviewing his request to join the venture.
Dark Box can reveal that:
- A $350,000 “green conference” speech was arranged as cover for Johnson’s Abu Dhabi trip;
- Johnson then met Mubarak in private and lobbied for investment in Bia Advisory;
- A draft letter, later updated to make it “more Boris-y,” asked Mubarak to “engage with [his] team” on what Johnson called a “tempting investment opportunity”.
While Johnson’s team waited for formal ethics clearance, they sought to push the deal through anyway, pressuring the committee for delays they called “mystifying.”
💸 Minimal Input, Massive Payouts
The leaked term sheets show:
- Bia was seeking €1 billion in assets under management and a €10 million startup grant from Mubadala.
- None of the founders planned to invest personal funds, but they projected millions in profits.
- Johnson’s name alone was the leverage. As one internal memo read: “Johnson is the key to unlocking the Emirates.”
🚨 Misuse of Public Funds?
The leaked emails also raise serious concerns about misuse of taxpayer money. Johnson’s limited company, the Office of Boris Johnson, is funded by a £115,000 annual public duty allowance, meant for official duties — not commercial lobbying.
Dark Box’s sources confirm this office was central to the commercial pitch, blurring the line between public funds and private profit.
❗Why It Matters
This is not just a story of one ex-leader’s greed — it is about a systemic vulnerability, where former officials leverage state relationships for private enrichment. And it again highlights the opaque role the UAE plays in shaping global influence networks through its wealth, reputation laundering, and soft power investments.
Boris Johnson — once the face of British leadership — has now become a cautionary tale of how elite privilege, Gulf wealth, and political impunity collide.
