PeopleofSuperintelligence

Researcher

Ben Delo

Ben Delo is an Oxford-trained mathematician and BitMEX co-founder whose career spans software engineering, cryptocurrency, and philanthropy. He helped invent BitMEX’s perpetual swap and published a mathematics paper with Filip Saidak. In a 2019 Giving Pledge letter, he named advanced AI among the risks his giving should address. A planned $1.46 million share of a MIRI grant did not proceed through his Open Philanthropy partnership, and other funders covered the amount. As of October 2026, he is a trustee of the London Institute for Mathematical Sciences; he funded the Ben Delo Fellowship there in 2025.

Now at
BitMEX and London Institute for Mathematical Sciences
Badges

Timeline

  1. 1984–2005

    Oxford mathematics and computing

    Born in Sheffield in 1984, he attends Lord Williams’s School in Thame and graduates from Oxford in 2005 with a double first-class degree in mathematics and computer science.

  2. 2005–2012

    Software engineering and trading

    After graduating in 2005, he works as a software engineer at IBM and develops high-frequency trading systems at GSA Capital, Peel Hunt, and JP Morgan. In 2012, he moves to Hong Kong to work for JP Morgan and begins experimenting with Bitcoin.

  3. 2014

    Co-founding BitMEX

    In 2014, he co-founds BitMEX, a cryptocurrency derivatives platform. He invents BitMEX’s perpetual swap for cryptocurrency trading.

  4. 2019

    A Giving Pledge on AI risks

    In 2019, he signs the Giving Pledge and says his philanthropy should address long-term risks, including risks from artificial intelligence.

  5. November 2019

    Euclid’s Theorem Redux

    He and Filip Saidak publish “Euclid’s Theorem Redux” in the November 2019 issue of The Fibonacci Quarterly.

  6. 2020

    A planned MIRI grant

    In 2020, MIRI announces a planned $1.46 million contribution through his Open Philanthropy partnership for work that includes advanced AI risks. Open Philanthropy does not proceed with the partnership, and other funders supply the money.

  7. 2022–2025

    A guilty plea and pardon

    He pleads guilty to violating the U.S. Bank Secrecy Act in 2022. President Donald Trump pardons him in March 2025.

  8. As of October 2026

    Trustee at the London Institute

    He is a trustee of the London Institute for Mathematical Sciences. In 2025, he funds the creation of the Ben Delo Fellowship there.

Career

  1. Since 2014BitMEXCo-founder
  2. NowLondon Institute for Mathematical SciencesTrustee
  3. 2005–2012IBMSoftware Engineer
  4. 2005–2012GSA Capital
  5. 2005–2012Peel Hunt
  6. 2005–2012JPMorgan Chase

Education

  1. 2005University of OxfordDouble first-class degree in mathematics and computer science

From the biography.

  1. Google alumni founded or led 82 other organizations, the most among the labs we compareIncludes IBM. We trace 189 organizations founded or led by AI lab alumni, and 196 career moves between the labs.
  2. The company share of AI researchers’ top papers rose from 3% to 32%Includes IBM. We estimate where leading AI researchers worked when their most-cited papers appeared. The company share rose from 3% in 1975–1979 to 32% in 2020–2024.
  3. Google has the highest combined h-index among AI organizationsIncludes IBM. Our estimates of combined and median h-index at AI organizations, using current affiliations and OpenAlex records.
  4. The median h-index is 54 at universities and 20 at frontier AI labsIncludes University of Oxford. The median h-index is 54 at universities and 20 at frontier AI labs. We compare publishing careers, citations and moves to estimate how universities and frontier labs contribute to AI research.

Colleagues

People named in this biography, and people with dated positions at the same organization in the same years.

Sources and credits

Photo: We have no published photo of Ben Delo yet. Send us a free-licensed photo.

  1. About Ben Delo | Fintech Entrepreneur & Philanthropist delo.org. Checked 18 October 2026.
  2. Ben Delo - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org. Checked 18 October 2026.
  3. Hong Kong is failing fintech: Q&A with founders of Bitcoin exchange BitMEX technode.com. Checked 18 October 2026.
  4. Ben Delo | LIMS lims.ac.uk. Checked 18 October 2026.
  5. Ben Delo — The Giving Pledge givingpledge.org. Checked 18 October 2026.
  6. The Fibonacci Quarterly, Volume 57, Number 4 mathstat.dal.ca. Checked 18 October 2026.
  7. MIRI’s largest grant to date! intelligence.org. Checked 18 October 2026.
  8. BitMEX’s Delo Will Not Face Prison After Guilty Plea coindesk.com. Checked 18 October 2026.
  9. A running list of the international figures Donald Trump has pardoned | The Week US theweek.com. Checked 18 October 2026.