George Osborne, the chair of the British Museum, has stated he believed a private viewing of the Bayeux Tapestry he organised for tech billionaire Peter Thiel would not be discovered. Osborne, a former chancellor, made the comments at the Big Brue festival in Somerset.
Osborne clarified that he was on holiday when Thiel was shown the medieval artwork. Charlotte Appleyard, the museum's director of development, hosted Thiel at a VIP viewing of the tapestry on 18 August, before it opened to the public. The visit was later reported by the Guardian.
Thiel is the founder of PayPal and Palantir, a software company with various British public contracts, including a £330m deal with the NHS since 2023. Palantir also works with the US, Israeli, and UK militaries.
When questioned about potential returns for the museum, Osborne said Thiel had not offered any money. He added that if an offer were made, the board would consider it, weighing income against reputational risks. Osborne also noted that protests at the museum, which he said were almost universally about Gaza, often treat the institution like the Foreign Office when concerning donors.