Jitesh Kishorekumar Gadhia, Baron Gadhia (born 27 May 1971)[1] is a British investment banker,Conservative Party donor and member of theHouse of Lords. A member of the Leader's Group of high-value donors, he was described byThe Herald as a member ofDavid Cameron's "inner circle".[2]
Gadhia was a pupil at Gayton High Comprehensive School (nowHarrow High School) from 1982 to 1986, before going on to study economics atFitzwilliam College, Cambridge,[3] and theLondon Business School, where he was aSloan Fellow.[4]
Gadhia is a senior managing director atThe Blackstone Group, a US private equity firm.[5][4] Prior to this, he worked forBarclays,ABN AMRO, andBarings Bank, which collapsed while he worked there.[4][6][7] He also sits on the board ofUK Financial Investments.[6] Gadhia was a trustee ofNesta,[8] and has written forThe Daily Telegraph.[4][7]
In September 2017, Gadhia was appointed a non-executive director of fracking companyThird Energy,[9] though questions were raised about a potential conflict of interest when the company was late publishing its annual results, amid concerns about its financial resilience and ability to fund clean-up costs.[10] Gadhia resigned as a director in September 2018.[11]
He has donated at least £225,000 to the Conservative Party, and another £18,000 to theConservative Friends of India.[5][2] He has also donated at least £25,000 to theLiberal Democrats in Scotland.[5][2]
He was involved in the cash for access scandal in 2014, along withJames Stunt (billionaire art dealer, gambling and shipping tycoon) andAlexander Temerko (Russian energy tycoon), and approximately 40 others.[12][5]
In August 2016 it was announced that he was to be made alife peer in as part of Cameron'sResignation Honours list.[13] In the afternoon of 31 August he was createdBaron Gadhia, of Northwood in the County of Middlesex.[14]
In October 2022, he was appointed to the Court of Directors of theBank of England.[15]
| Orders of precedence in the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Gentlemen Baron Gadhia | Followed by |
