Covid UK: Donald Trump among rich celebrities who claimed furlough cash
The millionaire celebs who claimed furlough cash to keep their businesses afloat: Petra Ecclestone, Donald Trump, Jamie Oliver and Cara Delevingne are among big names to get taxpayers’ help to pay their staff
- The furlough scheme is predicted to cost the taxpayer £71billion by the end of the financial year in April
- Businesses including those owned by well-known names are among the thousands getting assistance
- Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, who praised Rishi Sunak this week over the furlough, is among them
- Companies can get the Government Job Retention Scheme if they cannot maintain workers during pandemic
Famous names worth billions have claimed thousands of pounds of taxpayers’ money from the government to furlough staff during the coronavirus pandemic.
They include well-known figures like Guy Ritchie, Cara Delevingne, Petra Ecclestone, the Queen’s nephew David Linley and even former US President Donald Trump.
The job retention scheme was designed to help employers keep and pay workers at businesses that were unable to stay open during the Covid-19 crisis.
There is no suggestion any of the claimants have done anything wrong in asking for this money.
Model and actress Delevingne, 28, claimed up to £10,000 to pay five members of staff at her Harvey White Properties Ltd. She is said to have a personal fortune of £30million. Film director Ritchie, 52, who is worth an estimated £108million, is featured over his pub business.
The businesses connected to the celebrities have claimed furlough money from the government’s Job Retention Scheme
Cara Delevingne and Petra Ecclestone are both involved in companies who claimed money from the furlough scheme
Film director Ritchie, 52, who is worth an estimated £108million, is featured over his pub business.
His Fatboy Pub Company Limited – which has 19 members of staff – took between £10,001 and £25,000 of furlough money.
Meanwhile Petra Ecclestone – worth an estimated £285million – has her self named charitable foundation on the list.
Its most recent accounts show it has an average of two employees, who are paid a total of £119,000.
The company claimed up to £10,000 for its workers, according to new government figures.
And the Queen’s nephew David Linley – real name David Armstrong-Jones, the 2nd Earl of Snowdon – also has his furniture business on the list.
Guy Ritchie’s Fatboy Pub Company Limited claimed up to £25,000 as did David Linley’s Linley & Co Ltd
Former US president Donald Trump was a surprise on the list for his golf resort, which claimed up to £25,000 to furlough staff
Tony and Cherie Blair are also featured by name on the government transparency data, which was disclosed on February 25
His David Linley & Co Ltd firm claimed between £10,001 and £25,000 for staff.
Trump’s golf resort at Balmedie, Aberdeenshire, took the same band of amount for his firm Trump International Golf Club Scotland Ltd.
Former Prime Minister Tony Blair and his wife are on the list under the name Anthony Charles Blair and Cherie Blair. It shows they claimed up to £10,000, understood to pay her legal office.
And celebrity chef Jamie Oliver’s Jamie Oliver Ltd is mentioned as claiming up to £10,000 to furlough staff. The TV cook has been estimated to be worth £240million.
His fellow chef Gordon Ramsay, who this week praised Rishi Sunak for the furlough, also figures in the new data.
Gordon Ramsay Holdings Ltd, which supports his many worldwide restaurants, claimed between £10,001 and £25,000.
He told Mr Sunak last week: ‘I think we’ve been given one of the most incredible support systems from the furlough scheme, which was instrumental in maintaining some positivity.
‘I think you delivered beyond.
‘But the downside for me is that we have lost some really good restaurants that were good, but sadly, there are going to be casualties.’
Charles Saatchi’s Conarco Ltd is on the list as claiming up to £10,000, while his partner Trinny Woodall’s company took up to the same amount separately.
Little Mix star Jade Thirwall’s Chain Reaction bar company is featured for up to £10,000 to pay furloughed staff.
You’re beautiful hitmaker James Blunt’s pub business claimed up to £25,000 for around 25 members of staff.
MailOnline previously revealed how, despite being worth an estimated £14.5million, he applied for the money over the Fox and Pheasant in Chelsea.
Gordon Ramsay Holdings Ltd and Jamie Oliver Ltd have both applied for and received money from the Job Retention Scheme
Little Mix’s Jade Thirlwell, seen here modelling PrettyLittleThing X Little Mix Collection, has a company which claimed funds
Charles Saatchi’s Conarco Ltd is on the list as claiming up to £10,000, while his partner Trinny Woodall’s company took up to the same amount separately. James Blunt’s pub business claimed up to £25,000 for around 25 members of staff.
The details are available for anyone with a computer to see on the government’s website among its transparency data.
It only publishes banded information for companies of up to £10,000, between £10,001 and £25,000, between £25,001 and £50,000, and so on up to a £100million.
Elsewhere a company belonging to James Matthews, the billionaire husband of Pippa Middleton, is also featured.
Scottish shooting estate Glen Affric claimed up to £10,000 of the furlough money for staff.
His Made In Chelsea star brother Spencer’s firm The Clean Liquor Co got the same amount.
The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme was first brought in by Rishi Sunak during the first lockdown to provide financial help for companies and workers.
Businesses could furlough their staff instead of making them redundant or being laid off, with the government paying a certain portion of their salary.
It has been continually extended and is thought to be heading towards costing the taxpayer £71billion in total.
