British Museum Chair George Osborne Defends Corporate Sponsorship Ties
George Osborne faces criticism for the British Museum's ties to BP and Palantir and for granting Peter Thiel private access to exhibits.
The chair of the British Museum, George Osborne, is facing criticism over the institution's reliance on corporate sponsors and its granting of private access to influential figures. The controversy intensified following reports that Palantir founder Peter Thiel received a private viewing of the Bayeux tapestry. Osborne indicated the visit was intended to be secret, stating "it wasn’t like we expected anyone to know".
Advocacy group Culture Unstained argues that Osborne has brought the museum into disrepute by aligning it with companies like BP and Palantir. While Osborne maintains the museum would shut down without such corporate sponsorship, critics point to other London institutions, such as the Science Museum, which have recently ended their partnerships with BP.
The debate occurs as 91% of Museums Association members have ratified a code of ethics. This code urges museums to transition away from sponsors involved in environmental harm and human rights abuses.
