The elite Oxford dining club that trades cricket for chaos

Wealth & Business · Published 19 October 2026 · Updated 21 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: For over two centuries, the Bullingdon Club has been synonymous with extreme wealth and spectacular destruction. Once a sporting society for cricket and horse-racing, it evolved into an exclusive dining enclave known for smashing windows, trashing restaurants, and launching the careers of Britain's most powerful political figures.

Founded more than 200 years ago, the Bullingdon Club began as a sporting institution dedicated to cricket and horse-racing. Early records show members like Thomas Assheton Smith the Younger competing against the Marylebone Cricket Club as far back as 1796. However, by the late 19th century, the club's focus shifted from the pitch to the banquet hall, with cricket becoming a 'respectable front' for more self-indulgent activities.

The club's membership is drawn from the sons of nobility and immense wealth, often educated at prestigious schools like Eton and Harrow. This exclusivity has produced a notable lineage of British leaders, including two kings—Edward VII and Edward VIII—and three prime ministers: David Cameron, Boris Johnson, and the 5th Earl of Rosebery. The club's reputation for 'exuberant spirits' is well-documented; in 1894, members smashed 468 windows and various doors at Christ Church.

The club's lifestyle is as expensive as it is controversial. Members wear bespoke, navy blue and ivory tailcoats from Ede and Ravenscroft, with a full uniform estimated to cost £3,500 as of 2007. While they maintain a tradition of paying for any damages caused during their boisterous dinners, the sheer scale of their vandalism has led to bans and university suspensions. In recent years, the club's influence has faced scrutiny, with the Oxford University Conservative Association even implementing a ban on members holding office within the association.

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