Gary Lubner

Last updated
Gary Lubner
Born1958 or 1959
South Africa
Occupation(s)Businessman, entrepreneur
Known forFormer CEO of Belron, Labour Party donor

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.

Life

Lubner 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]

Asa Winstanley of Electronic Intifada 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] Novara Media who published a video titled "The TRUTH About Labour’s Pro-Israel Mega-Donor." based on the claims made by Electronic Intifada later apologised and stated the allegations "were false and based upon a single unreliable article". The apology further stated that Novara media "are pleased to make clear that Gary Lubner was an anti-apartheid activist and led anti-Apartheid organisations through the 1980s" [4]

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. [5] He has said that he wants to give away "the vast majority" of his wealth to charitable and progressive causes. [6]

Lubner is a long-standing donor to the United Jewish Israel Appeal, a group which aims to enhance young British Jews' sense of Jewish identity and their connection with Israel. [3]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Parker, George; Pickard, Jim (15 February 2024). "Keir Starmer and big business, a love story". www.ft.com. Archived from the original on 16 Feb 2024. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
  2. 1 2 UCL (2023-11-28). "Supporting an ecosystem for transformative change with Gary Lubner". UCL Policy Lab. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
  3. 1 2 Winstanley, Asa (2023-06-09). "Labour's new bankroller is Israel lobbyist, South African apartheid profiteer". The Electronic Intifada. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
  4. ↑ "Gary and Jack Lubner Apology". Novara Media. 22 September 2024.
  5. ↑ "Glass repair chief leads Labour to record £13m private donations ahead of election". The Independent. 2024-03-07. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
  6. ↑ Harpin, Lee (2024-03-07). "Communal businessman Gary Lubner gives £4.5m to Starmer's Labour". Jewish News. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
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