UK Business Secretary Peter Kyle is facing scrutiny over the access granted to Jayden Watson, a 25-year-old American tech lobbyist and reportedly a personal friend, to senior levels of the government.
Watson, who runs a political consultancy called Antinous Advisory, secured meetings with the Director General of Kyle's Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) in September 2024, according to reports. At the time, Watson was reportedly still a university student at the London Business School and his company had not yet been officially incorporated.
Sources close to Kyle stated that his friendship with Watson had been declared to the permanent secretary of DSIT, and that appropriate mitigations were put in place before the meeting. A week later, Antinous Advisory reportedly had a second meeting with the DSIT Director General, this time with one of its clients, Northern Data, a global technology company.
Northern Data's shareholders include German biotech tycoon Christian Angermayer, who is also a co-founder of the controversial Enhanced Games, which promotes the use of performance-enhancing drugs in sports. Angermayer reportedly owns the luxury penthouse apartment where Antinous Advisory is registered.
Watson has also reportedly accompanied Kyle as a guest to an invite-only concert and appears to have shared a gym session with the minister. He was also pictured at an event with Chancellor Rachel Reeves and previously with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.
Watson claimed on his former company's website, which has since been taken down, that he was an 'independent advisor' to Kyle in the lead-up to the 2024 election and had helped shape the government's technology policy. He also stated he possessed a wide network of government connections to assist companies in sectors such as AI.
Following the meetings with DSIT, Watson attended exclusive Government receptions at the UK International Investment Summit, where Kyle was also present. Official disclosures indicate Watson was not on the official guest list but was reportedly a guest of Northern Data. He also attended a Sky Arts concert as Kyle's guest, an event valued at over £400.
MPs have described the findings as 'deeply troubling' and have called for an investigation into potential breaches of the ministerial code. A spokesperson for Kyle stated that the Business Secretary was recused from any decisions related to departmental meetings with Watson and that the Ministerial Code was observed at all times.
Watson said that Antinous Advisory was his previous business and that he had discontinued work through it to focus on a new venture, explaining the website's removal. A government spokesperson reiterated that ministers and officials meet with various stakeholders and that such meetings are publicly recorded for transparency.