British Museum chair George Osborne played a direct personal role in securing a reported 5 million pound (6.6 million dollar) sponsorship from hedge fund billionaire Igor Tulchinsky, according to internal emails obtained through a Freedom of Information request by the campaign group Culture Unstained and first reported by The Art Journal.

The correspondence shows that Osborne introduced Tulchinsky, founder of the investment firm WorldQuant, to the museum, and then gave staff the go-ahead for sponsorship negotiations less than 90 minutes after receiving a due-diligence report on the donor. The released version of the report retains a heading reading "Key Due Diligence Flags," but the substance beneath it was redacted by the museum. In October 2025, Charlotte Appleyard, the museum's director of development, sent Osborne the assessment and asked for permission to proceed; he replied that he was happy to continue. By 24 November the agreement, supporting the museum's Bayeux Tapestry exhibition, was finalised.

Tulchinsky's background has drawn scrutiny from activists. He has reported links to Israeli military technology companies and alleged financial backing for a community centre in Efrat, an Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank, which has prompted criticism from left-wing campaigners over the museum's choice of donor.

The disclosure adds to long-running questions about sponsorship ethics at the British Museum, which has faced sustained protest over its 50 million pound partnership with BP. Osborne, the former Conservative chancellor, has previously said he recused himself from BP discussions because of his business connections; the Tulchinsky emails show a far more hands-on role in this case.