Gary Lubner (born 1958 or 1959) is a South African businessman and philanthropist. He is the former boss of Autoglass, runs the charitable foundation This Day, and has become a major donor to the UK Labour Party.
Gary Lubner | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1958 or 1959 |
| Occupation(s) | Businessman, entrepreneur |
| Known for | Former CEO of Belron, Labour Party donor |
Life
editLubner grew up in Johannesburg, South Africa, in a liberal Jewish family who were refugees from Russia.[1] "I grew up in a very liberal family as a result of my grandparents and what they had experienced. They were very charitable. They got very involved in different charities", Lubner has said.[2]
Lubner says that he supported the anti-apartheid movement and defended Nelson Mandela, telling the Financial Times that "that was one of the things that I remember - getting into many fights with business people who were saying 'he's a terrorist' and all of that. And so it was very important to me to do all I could."[1] The Financial Times has called Lubner "an almost unknown South African businessman whose social conscience was forged during apartheid".[1]
Journalists critical of the Israeli government have accused Lubner of profiting from apartheid, and becoming a policeman in 1977 under the apartheid regime.[3] The Financial Times reports that he was "conscripted into the country’s police force during apartheid, seeing its “brutal, brutal” consequences first-hand."[1]
Lubner moved to London in the late 1980s to study for an MBA, and began working for Belron/Autoglass, which he would later help build into a global brand.[2]
Lubner says he became “disenchanted” with the UK's Conservative government, and says Brexit is “the biggest own goal ever”. In 2021, he met with Labour Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves and decided to throw his support behind the party.[1]
Lubner donated a reported £4.5 million to the Labour Party before the 2024 election, helping the party to a record £13 million in donations.[4] He has said that he wants to give away “the vast majority” of his wealth to charitable and progressive causes.[5]
Lubner is a long-standing donor to the United Jewish Israel Appeal, a pro-Israel lobby group.[3][5]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e Parker, Pickard, George, Jim (15 February 2024). "Keir Starmer and big business, a love story". www.ft.com. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ a b UCL (2023-11-28). "Supporting an ecosystem for transformative change with Gary Lubner". UCL Policy Lab. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
- ^ a b Winstanley, Asa (2023-06-09). "Labour's new bankroller is Israel lobbyist, South African apartheid profiteer". The Electronic Intifada. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
- ^ "Glass repair chief leads Labour to record £13m private donations ahead of election". The Independent. 2024-03-07. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
- ^ a b Harpin, Lee (2024-03-07). "Communal businessman Gary Lubner gives £4.5m to Starmer's Labour". Jewish News. Retrieved 2024-09-02.