Michael Hintze
Credentials
- MBA, Harvard Business School. [1]
- MSC. in Acoustics, University of New South Wales. [1]
- Doctor of Business, University of New South Wales. [1]
- BSc. Physics and Pure Mathematics, University of Sydney. [1]
- BEng. Electrical Engineering, University of Sydney. [1]
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. [2], [3], [4]
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. [2]
Hintze is also a trustee and funder 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. [5], [2], [6]
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: [7]
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 | £200,000 |
| 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 | £4,204,586 |
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 GWPF. A dedicated supporter, he attended the group’s 2017 annual invitation-only lecture delivered by former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott. [8], [9]
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.[10]
Key Deeds
October 2017
Hintze attended the GWPF’s annual lecture given by former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott. [8], [9]
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. [11]
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. [12]
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. [12]
October 2013
Michael Hintze’s £3m 60th birthday bash was attended by senior Tory politicians Theresa May, Boris Johnson, William Hague, and Chris Grayling. [3]
2009
In 2009 Theresa May, then Conservative shadow minister for work and pensions, was the beneficiary of £1,200 in “hospitality” from Michael Hintze. [7]
2007-2009
Between 2007 and 2009 Hintze donated £11,000 to David Davis (note one donation is under a misspelling of “Hitnze”). [7]
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. [7]
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. [7]
Affiliations
- Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA)— Trustee and funder. [5]
- Convertible & Quantitative Strategies (CQS) — Founded in 1999. [2]
- Goldman Sachs — Variety of roles, beginning in 1984. [2]
- Credit Suisse First Boston (CSFB) — Variety of roles. [2]
Social Media
- Sir Michael Hintze, AM on LinkedIn.
Publications
Michael Hintze does not appear to have published any articles in mainstream news publications.
Resources
“Sir Michael Hintze, AM,” LinkedIn. Accessed January 8, 2019. Archied .pdf on file at DeSmog.
“About,” Michael Hintze. Archived January 8, 2019. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/GC9M6
James 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.fo URL: https://archive.fo/VhWS0
Graham Readfearn. “Michael Hintze revealed as funder of Lord Lawson's climate thinktank,” The Guardian, March 27, 2012. Archived January 8, 2019. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/uKrgA
“Trustees,“ IEA. Archived January 8, 2019. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/7HGYF
Alexandra 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.fo URL: https://archive.fo/3IbPZ
Electoral Commission Search performed January 8, 2019. Archived data on file at DeSmog.
“2017 Annual GWPF Lecture. Tony Abbott MP - 'Daring to Doubt',” YouTube video uploaded by user “GWPF,” October 10, 2017. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog.
Graham Readfearn. “Climate Scientists Attack Tony Abbott's 'Misleading' Speech to Global Warming Policy Foundation,” DeSmog, Octobe 9, 2017.
Alex Brummer. “Dropping Hintze on global markets,” Daily Mail, January 1, 2015. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. Retrieved from PressReader.
“Vote Leave Limited, Cash (C0243562),” The Electoral Commission. Accessed January 8, 2019. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
“Natural History Museum receives £5m donation,” BBC News, May 8, 2014. Archived January 8, 2019. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/TchjL
Other Resources
“Michael Hintze,” LittleSis.
“Michael Hintze,” Wikipedia.
“How hedge fund manager Michael Hintze makes money from geopolitical unrest,” Financial Review, July 26, 2017.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons | CC2.0
