George Osborne ‘thought Peter Thiel’s Bayeux tapestry visit would be secret’
British Museum chair tells Big Brue festival he thought no one would find out about the private viewing George Osborne has said he thought no one would find out about a private viewing of the Bayeux tapestry he organised for the tech billionaire Peter Thiel at the British Museum. The former chancellor, who is chair of the museum, told the Big Brue festival in Somerset that he had been on holiday…
The British Museum's chair, George Osborne, revealed during the Big Brue festival that he had initially believed a private viewing of the Bayeux tapestry for tech billionaire Peter Thiel would remain a secret. Thiel, who is known to support Donald Trump, was shown the medieval artwork by Osborne while he was on holiday. Osborne, chair of the museum, stated that he had not anticipated any public knowledge of the viewing.
The museum's director of development, Charlotte Appleyard, hosted Thiel for the VIP tour of the tapestry prior to its public opening on August 18th. When asked about any potential returns from Thiel, Osborne noted that no money had been offered and that if any had, the board would weigh the financial benefits against reputational risks.
Osborne criticized the public's tendency to treat the British Museum like the Foreign Office when voicing concerns about donors who support the Israeli government. He argued that the museum handles sensitive political issues, particularly the Gaza conflict, and tries to navigate them carefully. Osborne also pointed out that the museum relies on donations from corporations like BP to function, and that shutting down the museum would be impossible if significant funding is received from such entities.
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