Osborne did not expect publicity over Thiel’s visit — The Guardian
In the United Kingdom, British Museum chair George Osborne said he did not expect publicity surrounding a private viewing of the Bayeux Tapestry for technology billionaire Peter Thiel. According to The Guardian, Osborne arranged the visit, but was on holiday himself during the viewing.
Private viewing
Osborne spoke about this at the Big Brue festival in Somerset. According to him, the museum did not expect the visit to become known. Thiel was hosted at the VIP viewing by British Museum director of development Charlotte Appleyard.
Thiel viewed the medieval tapestry before it opened to visitors on 18 August. The Guardian reported on the visit shortly afterward.
Answering a question about the museum’s possible benefit from the viewing, Osborne said that Thiel had not offered money. He added that if such an offer were made, the museum’s board would have to weigh both additional revenue and reputational risks.
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Donations and protests
Osborne also commented on protests concerning donors linked to support for the Israeli government. According to him, demonstrations near the museum had previously mainly concerned the climate and the activities of Just Stop Oil, while they are now mostly related to Gaza. He stressed that the British Museum is not the Foreign Office.
The museum chair defended the practice of accepting funding from large companies, including BP. In his view, refusing money from technology, oil and banking companies could jeopardize free access to the museum and its operations. As an example, he mentioned a possible £50 million offer from BP.
Peter Thiel supports Donald Trump and is the founder of PayPal and Palantir. Palantir develops data integration, analytics and artificial intelligence platforms for government bodies and large corporations. The company has a number of government contracts in the United Kingdom, including a £330 million contract with the National Health Service, which it has held since 2023.
