BBC News
· collected 2026-09-08 · by Raphael Sheridan, Mitchell Labiak
Chris Rokos, a hedge-fund billionaire and one of the UK's top taxpayers, plans to leave the UK for Greece, where he will open an office in Athens. According to Dan Neidle, a tax expert, Rokos's decision could result in a loss of £330m in tax revenue for the UK, equivalent to funding 4,500 teachers. The potential loss comes as the UK Treasury is set to release its first Budget under new Chancellor John Healey on October 28, with speculation about possible tax increases. Greece offers a more favorable tax climate for wealthy foreigners, allowing them to pay a flat yearly tax of €100,000 (£86,000) on all overseas income.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-08,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Chris Rokos, a £3 billion-wealthy hedge-fund billionaire and one of the UK's top taxpayers, plans to leave the UK for Greece. He was ranked third in The Sunday Times list of Britain's top taxpayers, having paid £330m last year, and had recently pledged to donate £190m to Cambridge University. Rokos will open an office in Athens, reportedly attracted by Greece's generous tax rules for wealthy foreigners earning overseas income, which allow them to pay a flat yearly tax of €100,000 (approximately £86,000) on all overseas income. This decision has raised questions about the UK's ability to collect taxes from those who relocate abroad. The UK government spokesperson defended the country as an "attractive destination for talent and investment" with a "competitive and stable tax system."
Written for “UK Taxpayer Relocation” on 2026-09-08,
grounded in this article and the 1 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
The article's own words the score was based on. Each is quoted
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stored, so you can find it in the original.
Leaning score -0.35 for article 6984 (medium confidence, 1 verified quote) · logged 2026-09-08
- Published
A hedge-fund billionaire and one of the UK's richest taxpayers has decided to leave the UK for Greece, the BBC understands.
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BBC → publish → Greece
Chris Rokos plans to open an office in Athens, according to reports.
uncertain
Rokos → plan → reports
Greece has generous tax rules for wealthy foreigners earning overseas income.
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Greece → have → income
Rokos was ranked third in The Sunday Times list of Britain's top taxpayers, having paid £330m last year, and in March said he would donate £190m to Cambridge University.
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he → rank → University
Rokos's representatives declined to comment.
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representatives → decline → ?
A government spokesperson said: "The UK remains an attractive destination for talent and investment".
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UK → say → talent
"The chancellor has made wealth creation one of his top priorities," the spokesperson said, adding that the UK has "a competitive and stable tax system, deep capital markets, world-class universities and a highly skilled workforce".
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UK → make → system
It is not publicly known why Rokos has made the decision, which was first reported by Bloomberg, but Greece's tax-rules are seen as attractive to the ultra-wealthy.
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rules → know → wealthy
They allow foreigners who meet certain criteria to pay a flat yearly tax of €100,000 (£86,000) on all overseas income.
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who → allow → income
Dan Neidle, the founder of the think tank Tax Policy Associates, told the BBC's Today programme that the £330m in tax revenue the UK could lose was "quite a lot of money".
uncertain
UK → tell → money
"It is enough to fund 4,500 teachers...
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It → fund → teachers
we have entire taxes that raise less than £330m."
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that → have → 330
"He will probably pay almost nothing in Greece, and we can't compete with that," he added.
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he → pay → that
Despite the potential loss, Neidle said there are "no easy answers and no good statistics" on the issue of ultra-wealthy taxpayers leaving the UK.
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taxpayers → say → UK
He said the Treasury has some estimates on the number of wealthy people leaving, but otherwise there are few facts about the true scale of the revenue loss.
"
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Treasury → say → loss
We have lots of anecdotes...
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We → have → anecdotes
what we don't really have is data," he said.
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he → say → what
He said the government needed to "give certainty" to ultra-wealthy people living in the UK, arguing that lots of changes to the non-dom regime in a short space of time and reports of a possible wealth tax don't help.
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lots → say → tax
"Stop rumours, stop tinkering," he said.
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he → stop → rumours
Rokos's decision comes ahead of UK Chancellor John Healey's first Budget on 28 October.
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decision → come → October
In an interview with the BBC on Monday, Healey did not rule out tax increases in the Budget, with a recent increase in government borrowing costs piling pressure on the public finances.
He refused to comment on any decisions about tax, promising only to "balance the books" and "control public spending".
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He → rule → spending
In March, Cambridge University said the money from Rokos would be "the largest single donation made to a British university in modern times".
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money → say → times
It will be used to create a school of government in Cambridge named after him with the aim of training leaders of the future.
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It → use → future
It is set to open this autumn.
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It → set → ?
Despite his generosity to Cambridge, Rokos is an Oxford graduate, having studied mathematics at Pembroke College.
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Rokos → study → College
He attended a state primary school before winning a scholarship to Eton College.
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He → attend → College
