Michael Hintze

Michael Hintze

Credentials

  • MBA, Harvard Business School.1Sir Michael Hintze, AM,” LinkedIn. Accessed January 8, 2019. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
  • MSC. in Acoustics, University of New South Wales.2Sir Michael Hintze, AM,” LinkedIn. Accessed January 8, 2019. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
  • Doctor of Business, University of New South Wales.3Sir Michael Hintze, AM,” LinkedIn. Accessed January 8, 2019. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
  • BSc. Physics and Pure Mathematics, University of Sydney.4Sir Michael Hintze, AM,” LinkedIn. Accessed January 8, 2019. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
  • BEng. Electrical Engineering, University of Sydney.5Sir Michael Hintze, AM,” LinkedIn. Accessed January 8, 2019. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

Background

Australian hedge fund manager Michael Hintze is one of the biggest donors to the UK’s Conservative Party and has been dubbed the godfather of Tory donors by some in the British press. He also donated money to the Brexit campaign and is one of the key funders of UK climate science denial thinktank the Global Warming Policy Foundation.6About,” Michael Hintze. Archived January 8, 2019. Archive URL: https://archive.fo/GC9M6 7James Lyons. “Cabinet ministers and Boris lord it up at Tory donor’s £3 MILLION birthday bash,” Mirror, October 29, 2013. Archived January 8, 2019. Archive URL: https://archive.fo/VhWS0 8Graham Readfearn. “Michael Hintze revealed as funder of Lord Lawson’s climate thinktank,” The Guardian, March 27, 2012. Archived January 8, 2019. Archive URL: https://archive.fo/uKrgA

In 1999 Hintze launched his hedge fund Convertible & Quantitative Strategies (CQS) in London after stints at Goldman Sachs and Credit Suisse First Boston. In 2011, Hintze was also revealed as one of Liam Fox’s closest supporters. Hintze helped to bankroll office space and trips for Fox and colleagues involved with the now defunct libertarian thinktank the Atlantic Bridge. Hintze was also a member of the Atlantic Bridge’s advisory council along with Boris Johnson and Michael Gove.9About,” Michael Hintze. Archived January 8, 2019. Archive URL: https://archive.fo/GC9M6

Hintze is also a trustee of the UK neoliberal thinktank the Institute of Economic Affairs. Hintze and his charitable family foundation have also donated to charities of the UK‘s Prince Charles, to restoration works in the Vatican, and to various organisations in the arts and museums world. The Hintze Hall in London’s Natural History Museum was so named after a $5 million donation from the Hintze foundation.10Trustees,“ IEA. Archived January 8, 2019. Archive URL: https://archive.fo/7HGYF 11About,” Michael Hintze. Archived January 8, 2019. Archive URL: https://archive.fo/GC9M6 12Alexandra Rucki. “Natural History museum receives £5 million donation from philanthropists Sir Michael and Lady Hintze,” Evening Standard, May 8, 2014. Archived January 8, 2019. Archive URL: https://archive.fo/3IbPZ

Charitable Giving

According to a search for “Michael Hintze” at the Electoral Commission, he gave at least the following amounts to political parties and candidates between 2002 and 2018:13Electoral Commission Search performed January 8, 2019. Archived data on file at DeSmog.

View the attached spreadsheet for more details on Michael Hintze’s political donations by year (.xlsx).

Permitted Participant£225,000
No Campaign Limited£25,000
Vote Leave Limited£100,000
Political Party£3,886,386
Conservative and Unionist Party£3,886,386
Regulated Donee£89,200
Mr Adam Holloway MP£1,500
Mr Boris Johnson MP£5,000
The Rt Hon David Davis MP£11,000
The Rt Hon David Willetts MP£25,000
The Rt Hon Dr Liam Fox MP£10,000
The Rt Hon George Osborne MP£37,500
The Rt Hon Patrick McLoughlin MP£2,000
The Rt Hon Theresa May MP£1,200
Grand Total£4,104,586 

Stance on Climate Change

While Hintze avoids public statements, he is reportedly one of the earliest financial backers of the UK’s only climate science denial thinktank, the Global Warming Policy Foundation. A dedicated supporter, he attended the group’s 2017 annual invitation-only lecture delivered by former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott.142017 Annual GWPF Lecture. Tony Abbott MP – ‘Daring to Doubt‘,” YouTube video uploaded by user “GWPF,” October 10, 2017. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog. 15Graham Readfearn. “Climate Scientists Attack Tony Abbott’s ‘Misleading’ Speech to Global Warming Policy Foundation,” DeSmog, October 9, 2017.

Key Quotes

January 1, 2015

“Markets are a good thing and they are the best way of ensuring we have fairness,” Hintze said in an interview with the Daily Mail.16Alex Brummer. “Dropping Hintze on global markets,” Daily Mail, January 1, 2015. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. Retrieved from PressReader.

Key Deeds

November 2021

Hintze gave a £1,000 Conservative Party gala ticket to Tory leadership candidate Kemi Badenoch, a junior minister in the department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.17Adam Barnett. “Kemi Badenoch Gifted Tory Gala Ticket by Climate Denial Funder,” DeSmog, July 13, 2022. Badenoch was later appointed Secretary of State for International Trade and President of the Board of Trade, as well as Minister for Women and Equalities.18The Rt Hon Kemi Badenoch MP,” GOV.UK. Archived February 2, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/aL5V0   

October 2019

Hintze donated £3,000 to Conservative MP Penny Mordaunt ahead of the 2019 general election.19Adam Barnett. “Kemi Badenoch Gifted Tory Gala Ticket by Climate Denial Funder,” DeSmog, July 13, 2022. Mordaunt later became the Leader of the House of Commons on September 6, 2022.20The Rt Hon Penny Mordaunt MP,” GOV.UK. Archived January 26, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/7OmaE   

October 2017

Hintze attended the GWPF’s annual lecture given by former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott.212017 Annual GWPF Lecture. Tony Abbott MP – ‘Daring to Doubt‘,” YouTube video uploaded by user “GWPF,” October 10, 2017. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog. 22Graham Readfearn. “Climate Scientists Attack Tony Abbott’s ‘Misleading’ Speech to Global Warming Policy Foundation,” DeSmog, October 9, 2017.

July 2016

Hintze donated £100,000 to the Vote Leave campaign group on 22 June, the day before Britain headed to the polls to vote in the EU Referendum.23Vote Leave Limited, Cash (C0243562),” The Electoral Commission. Accessed January 8, 2019. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

May 2014

Through a family trust, the Hintze Family Charitable Foundation, Hintze and his wife donated £5 million to the Natural History Museum in London. This was the largest donation the museum had ever received in its 133-year history, and saw the renaming of the central hall to Hintze Hall.24Natural History Museum receives £5m donation,” BBC News, May 8, 2014. Archived January 8, 2019. Archive URL: https://archive.fo/TchjL

The money will be used for scientific research and to maintain collections, it was reported at the time. “We feel privileged to be able to make a contribution towards securing this centre of scientific knowledge and research for present and future generations,” Hintze said.25Natural History Museum receives £5m donation,” BBC News, May 8, 2014. Archived January 8, 2019. Archive URL: https://archive.fo/TchjL

October 2013

Michael Hintze’s £3m 60th birthday bash was attended by senior Tory politicians Theresa May, Boris Johnson, William Hague, and Chris Grayling.26James Lyons. “Cabinet ministers and Boris lord it up at Tory donor’s £3 MILLION birthday bash,” Mirror, October 29, 2013. Archived January 8, 2019. Archive URL: https://archive.fo/VhWS0

2009

In 2009 Theresa May, then Conservative shadow minister for work and pensions, was the beneficiary of £1,200 in “hospitality” from Michael Hintze.27Electoral Commission Search performed January 8, 2019. Archived data on file at DeSmog.

2007–2009

Between 2007 and 2009 Hintze donated £11,000 to David Davis (note one donation is under a misspelling of “Hitnze”).28Electoral Commission Search performed January 8, 2019. Archived data on file at DeSmog.

2007–2008

In the run up to Boris Johnson’s 2008 May London Mayoral Election, Michael Hintze donated the following: £2,000 in December 2007, £2,000 in February 2008, and £1,000 in March 2008.29Electoral Commission Search performed January 8, 2019. Archived data on file at DeSmog.

January 2007

Hintze donated £10,000 to Liam Fox, who at the time was the UK’s Defence Secretary and founder of the Atlantic Bridge.30Electoral Commission Search performed January 8, 2019. Archived data on file at DeSmog.

Affiliations

Social Media

Publications

Michael Hintze does not appear to have published any articles in mainstream news publications.

Other Resources

Resources

Photo: Wikimedia Commons | CC2.0

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