London Mayor Sadiq Khan declared gifts and hospitality worth at least £25,690 in 2025, according to newly released City Hall data. The figure includes high-profile events like the Wimbledon Championships, the FA Cup Final, and a trip to a global climate summit in Brazil.
The Major Freebies and Hospitality
The single largest contribution was £16,913.31 from Bloomberg Philanthropies, covering costs for Khan's attendance at the C40 World Mayors Summit in Rio de Janeiro in November. City Hall stated the trip was to promote London and attract international investment.
Other significant declared items included two tickets to the British Museum's Inaugural Pink Ball charity fundraiser, valued at £1,875, and £2,609 for a trip to Cannes for a major real estate conference. The Mayor also accepted tickets to the FA Cup Final at Wembley Stadium and a talk by former US President Barack Obama.
Scrutiny and Political Reaction
The declared total for 2025 is slightly higher than the £24,714 worth of gifts and hospitality accepted in 2024. The revelations have prompted criticism from opposition figures.
Susan Hall, leader of the Conservative group on the London Assembly, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that while transparency was good, further steps were needed to ensure gifts were "appropriate" and not used to "engineer outcomes." She referenced a previous investigation into Khan accepting Taylor Swift tickets in 2024, for which he was later cleared.
Hall had previously scrutinised the Brazil trip, specifically requesting details on the air miles accrued. The Mayor's office confirmed the return flights from London to Rio totalled 5,746 miles each way, but emphasised that the C40 organisers would offset 100% of the emissions.
Superyacht Birthday and Undeclared Values
In a separate event, it emerged that Mayor Khan celebrated his 55th birthday on board the superyacht "Kismet," owned by billionaire Fulham FC owner Shahid Khan. The yacht is currently for sale with an asking price exceeding £140 million.
The official £25,690 figure is likely an underestimate, as City Hall officials stated the monetary value of several other accepted invitations was "unknown." These included tickets to the Chelsea Flower Show President's Lunch, the Mission Impossible premiere, and a Brentford FC match against the Mayor's favoured team, Liverpool.
A spokesperson for the Mayor defended the engagements, stating: "London is a global city and Sadiq makes no apology for banging the drum for the capital overseas to promote growth, generate new trade and investment opportunities and develop cultural links." They added that Khan had made 17 international visits by plane, compared to 34 by the previous Mayor.
