George Cottrell
George Cottrell is a British financier, convicted felon and author. He is a senior adviser, campaigner and fundraiser for Nigel Farage and leads the political consultancy Geostrategy.
Early life and family
Cottrell was born in London, England, to an aristocratic family. His father, Mark Cottrell, a businessman and landowner from Gloucestershire, attended Gordonstoun School with Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. George Cottrell's mother, The Honourable Fiona Watson, a daughter of Rupert Watson, 3rd Baron Manton, is a former glamour model and girlfriend of Charles III when he was Prince of Wales. On 12 September 2024 it was reported that Fiona Watson had donated £750,000 to Reform UK.Cottrell's maternal uncle Alexander Fermor-Hesketh, 3rd Baron Hesketh, a former hereditary peer, was the Government Chief Whip in the House of Lords.
Cottrell was raised and educated on the private island of Mustique, before attending Malvern College, from which he was expelled for illegal gambling.
Career
Cottrell was listed as a director in a number of businesses from a young age, both in the UK and overseas. Starting in 2013, Cottrell assumed a number of roles at banks, including Credit Suisse, JP Morgan, and Banca Privada d'Andorra. Following the 2015 UK general election, Cottrell was appointed deputy treasurer of the UK Independence Party.While head of fundraising for UKIP, Cottrell became the chief of staff to Nigel Farage, who was then UKIP leader.
In May 2019, Cottrell was reportedly serving as a fundraiser for the Brexit Party.
In 2025 press reported Cottrell had launched an international political consultancy, Geostrategy, as an unlimited company.
Biteback Publishing announced How to Launder Money: A Guide for Law Enforcement, Prosecutors, and Policymakers, authored by Cottrell is scheduled for release in February 2026.
Professional gambling
According to documents filed in the UK High Court, Cottrell was named as part of a professional betting syndicate linked to Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. owner Tony Bloom. In return for his participation, Cottrell reportedly received a share of winnings, with the syndicate allegedly earning up to $250 million.Cottrell reportedly made over $200 million personally by copying bets from Bloom’s syndicate, Starlizard.
Cottrell was reported to be a high-stakes poker player, once losing $20 million in one night. He later won about $13 million by betting on Donald Trump’s 2024 election victory.
Arrest and conviction
On 22 July 2016, while attending the Republican National Convention with Farage, Cottrell was arrested by IRS Criminal Investigation special agents at Chicago O'Hare International. Cottrell was federally indicted on 21 counts for conspiracy to commit money laundering, wire fraud, blackmail, and extortion. Denied bail by a judge who branded Cottrell a "serious flight risk," he was detained in custody at Metropolitan Correctional Center, Chicago.Cottrell's indictment states how in 2014, he met with undercover federal agents in Las Vegas, where he conspired to launder millions of dollars' worth of drug money using offshore bank accounts. However, following a plea agreement in December 2016, prosecutors agreed to dismiss 20 counts in return for a guilty plea to a single count of wire fraud in which Cottrell admitted to explaining various ways criminal proceeds could be laundered.
In March 2017, Cottrell was sentenced and released by Judge Diane Humetewa, having served eight months in prison.