Singham, Accused Of Pushing Chinese Propaganda In India, Faces Probe In US Over Funding Left-Wing Groups

Last Updated:June 30, 2026, 19:51 IST

Singham had attracted international attention over allegations that organisations linked to him promoted narratives aligned with the Chinese government's positions.

American-born, Sri Lankan-origin tech entrepreneur Neville Roy Singham, who is based in China and was previously named in an Indian investigation over allegations of financing the media platform NewsClick to promote pro-China narratives, is now facing a reported federal grand jury investigation in the United States over an alleged global funding network linked to left-wing organisations, media outlets and activist groups.

According to a report by Fox News Digital, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) has launched a federal grand jury investigation in Manhattan to determine whether Singham’s funding network violated US laws relating to money laundering, wire fraud, bank fraud and other financial offences.

The investigation centres on the movement of roughly $278 million, which prosecutors are examining to determine whether it was routed through donor-advised funds, shell companies and nonprofit organisations in a manner that concealed the origin of the money before ultimately financing political activism and media operations.

According to the report, investigators believe funds originating from Singham’s China-based network were channelled through Goldman Sachs’ GS Donor Advised Philanthropy Fund and two now-defunct shell companies before being distributed to a network of nonprofits, advocacy groups and activist organisations.

Among the organisations named in the report are The People’s Forum, CodePink, Tricontinental and BreakThrough News, along with several other groups associated with socialist and Marxist causes.

Federal investigators are reportedly examining whether the flow of funds was deliberately structured through multiple intermediary entities to obscure their origin before reaching recipient organisations.

The investigation has also brought Goldman Sachs’ donor-advised philanthropy programme under scrutiny.

Fox News Digital reported that a federal grand jury in Manhattan has issued subpoenas seeking banking records and financial documents from organisations linked to Singham. Citing sources familiar with the matter, the report said the investigation was authorised by Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and is being overseen by the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York under US Attorney Jay Clayton.

The report further said US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent met Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon earlier this year to discuss the bank’s administration of Singham’s donor-advised fund and urged the financial institution to cooperate with investigators.

Goldman Sachs has denied any wrongdoing. In a statement to Fox News Digital, the bank said all distributions from Singham’s donor-advised fund were made only to legally recognised nonprofit organisations as determined by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It also said no distributions had been made from the account since August 2023 and that the fund was closed in early 2024.

WHO IS NEVILLE ROY SINGHAM?

Singham is the founder of software consultancy Thoughtworks, which he sold to London-based private equity firm Apax Partners in 2017 for an estimated $785 million, making him one of the wealthiest figures in the global technology industry.

The son of Sri Lankan immigrants, Singham later shifted his base to China, where his activities and funding network have attracted increasing scrutiny from governments, lawmakers and intelligence agencies in several countries.

INDIA’S PROBE INTO SINGHAM

Singham first came under the spotlight in India following a 2023 investigation by The New York Times, which alleged that organisations linked to him financed the Indian news portal NewsClick.

Subsequently, the Delhi Police Special Cell and the Enforcement Directorate alleged that NewsClick and its founder, Prabir Purkayastha, received foreign funds from Singham to promote pro-China narratives, criticise Indian government policies and undermine India’s sovereignty, including by publishing disputed maps of Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh.

The Delhi Police registered a case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), naming Singham in its FIR and issuing multiple summonses for questioning.

Singham and NewsClick denied the allegations, maintaining that the funding was legitimate and independent of the Chinese government.

Earlier this year, the Delhi High Court quashed the Enforcement Directorate’s money laundering proceedings against NewsClick and Purkayastha, holding that the investigation was legally unsustainable. However, the separate UAPA investigation being conducted by the Delhi Police remains pending.

ALLEGED CHINA LINKS

Long before the reported DOJ investigation, Singham had attracted international attention over allegations that organisations linked to him promoted narratives aligned with the Chinese government’s positions.

A 2023 investigation by The New York Times alleged that Singham built a sprawling international network of nonprofits, media organisations and activist groups that combined progressive advocacy with messaging favourable to Beijing. The newspaper also reported that Singham worked closely with China’s state media ecosystem, allegations he has consistently denied.

According to the newspaper, Singham shares office space in Shanghai with the Maku Group, a Chinese media company whose stated mission is to “tell China’s story well"—a phrase frequently used by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to describe its international messaging strategy.

The New York Times further reported that organisations linked to Singham—including Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research, Dongsheng News, No Cold War, The People’s Forum and CodePink—worked with Chinese universities and state-linked media organisations on projects aimed at amplifying China’s messaging globally.

The newspaper said content produced by these organisations was frequently amplified by Chinese state media and often reflected Beijing’s positions on issues such as Xinjiang, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

A separate investigation by Fox News Digital alleged that between 2017 and 2025, Singham’s wider network moved nearly $591 million through 67 organisations spread across five continents, with roughly $278 million ultimately flowing to US-based groups. That alleged funding network is now at the centre of the reported DOJ investigation.

The report also highlighted Singham’s ideological alignment with Beijing, citing a speech he delivered at the Global South Academic Forum in Shanghai in November 2025. During the speech, Singham praised what he described as a “new world order", criticised the United States as a “fascist" country and invoked Mao Zedong’s concept of a “people’s war".

Fox News Digital further reported that investigators are examining Singham’s ties to organisations linked to his wife, Jodie Evans, the co-founder of CodePink, along with possible connections between his broader funding network and entities associated with the Chinese Communist Party.

About the Author

Shankhyaneel Sarkar

Shankhyaneel Sarkar is a senior subeditor at News18. He covers international affairs, where he focuses on breaking news to in-depth analyses. He has over five years of experience during which he has c...Read More

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