Christopher Harborne, a Tether and Bitfinex equity holder, has set up a US company called Skyline Apex LLC, according to Protos. The report says Harborne had previously focused on forming businesses and non-profits in England and a small number of other jurisdictions, making this his first clear move into the United States.
A new US foothold
Protos reports that the new entity is based in Wyoming. What the company will do is still unclear. The report says it could relate to aviation fuel, crypto, or something else entirely.
That filing gives Harborne a foothold in a market he had previously avoided, the article says. It also notes that Wyoming’s corporate privacy laws are strict, leaving little public visibility into the business for now.
Fresh scrutiny in the UK
Harborne has recently appeared in British tabloid coverage because of an unreported £5 million gift to Nigel Farage, Protos says. The report adds that the gift came at a time when the Reform UK leader was not restricted by regular campaign finance rules and regulations.
Protos also says the controversy has left Farage facing a by-election against novelty candidate Count Binface as well as a range of other third-party challengers.
Ties to Tether and Bitfinex
According to Protos, Harborne built his wealth through work at McKinsey and through his own aviation fueling business. The article says he became a shareholder in Tether and Bitfinex early in the life of both entities and went on to accumulate substantial wealth.
The report also says Harborne has lived in Thailand for decades under the name Chakrit Sakunkrit.
Past efforts to push back on coverage
As media attention on Harborne and his dealings has intensified over the past five years, Protos says he has tried to silence outlets reporting on his donations, gifts, and personal lifestyle. The article mentions a 2020 Panorama documentary about Harborne’s involvement with Brexit and says it has since disappeared from the internet.
It also says Harborne has been litigious toward small media outlets and journalists who reported on him.
Dow Jones case ended in 2026
Protos says Harborne sued Dow Jones, the parent company of The Wall Street Journal, in Delaware in 2024 on defamation claims. The suit centered on a 2023 Wall Street Journal article titled “Crypto Companies Behind Tether Used Falsified Documents and Shell Companies to Get Bank Accounts,” which mentioned Harborne, his company AML Global, and their dealings with the now-defunct Signature Bank.
The report says the Journal later removed the section and stated that it “has been removed to avoid any potential implication that AML’s attempt to open an account there was part of an effort by Tether, Bitfinex or related companies to mislead banks, or that Harborne or AML withheld or falsified information during the application process.”
Even so, Protos says Harborne continued with the case and with years of litigation against Dow Jones. The matter was quietly resolved in 2026 through a stipulated dismissal, according to the report, and the outcome drew little attention from major news outlets.
Purpose of the new entity remains unclear
Protos lists several possible reasons for Harborne’s decision to form the company now, including the ability to influence local and federal elections discreetly or to use purchasing power in pursuit of green card status and, eventually, a third citizenship. The report does not present those possibilities as established facts.
For now, the exact purpose of Skyline Apex LLC has not been disclosed.