Exposé: The secret funders behind controversial businessman Rhys Williams

Video: Uncovering the covert political networks, media alliances, shady backers influencing the Inflection Point event in 2024

An exclusive exposé by thisquality has renewed scrutiny of Rhys Williams, a controversial businessman and the organiser of the Inflection Point event held in 2024, raising serious questions about his political affiliations, the event’s true financial backers, and the wider network of influence shaping public discourse in New Zealand.

What initially appeared to be an independent forum for debate now appears increasingly entangled with organised political interests, prompting concerns about transparency and accountability.

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Public attention intensified following the temporary removal of a video interview with Williams from The Platform. The move sparked widespread debate about political transparency and the blurred lines between party politics and private interests.

The interview’s disappearance, followed by its quiet reinstatement, fuelled speculation about the nature of Williams’ role and the motivations behind the event he helped organise, particularly as questions mounted over who stood to benefit from its messaging.

Image: Controversial businessman Rhys Williams - SUPPLIED, Inflection Point (public Media)

Subsequent reporting has deepened those concerns.

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Investigative reporting by Andrea Vance and Charlie Mitchell from The Post challenges the portrayal of Williams as merely an event organiser. Instead, their reporting suggests he is embedded within a broader conservative media and political ecosystem, one that operates through carefully managed narratives and strategic alliances rather than open political engagement.

Our investigation revealed the existence of previously undisclosed financial backers connected to Williams, pointing to deliberate efforts to shape right-leaning narratives through calculated messaging and presentation.

The findings suggest grassroots initiatives can function as façades for coordinated political lobbying while offering little to no transparency around funding sources or strategic intent. Such structures make it difficult for the public to distinguish between genuine civic engagement and orchestrated influence campaigns.

The revelations also draw attention to links with conservative figures, including Brian Tamaki, as well as involvement in campaigns that promote anti-trans rhetoric framed as cultural or ideological critique.

Such a network further complicates claims that Inflection Point operated as a politically neutral space, instead suggesting alignment with broader culture-war strategies already active within New Zealand’s right-leaning media sphere.

Image: Glen Inwood (far left) - SUPPLIED, Inflection Point event

Adding to those concerns was the presence of Glenn Inwood who attended the Inflection Point event. Inwood is a longtime promoter of New Zealand First and acted as the authorised representative for SB Group, which publicly backed Shane Jones during the 2023 general election. His involvement strengthens the argument that the event operated within an interconnected political network.

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These elements undermine assertions of neutrality and point to coordinated political messaging presented under the guise of independent discourse.

The result is a troubling picture of a democratic environment vulnerable to manipulation, while the public remains largely unaware of who is shaping narratives.

Editor’s note Rhys Williams does not appear to have any publicly available contact details, and efforts to request comment were unsuccessful. Samuel Hudson (@foundersam) publicly posted a query directed at Williams regarding his involvement but no public response was observed. Sean Plunket of The Platform responded to a related post by Hudson, confirming that an interview between Plunket and Williams which was temporarily removed had been reinstated. However, as of the publication date of this article, the interview does not appear in web search results, and the original link returns a 404 error page.

12 Comments

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Evans

1 year ago

Good article as always sam.. thx

A fan of honesty unlike sammy

What utter garbage so typical of Sammy the dropkick!

Jennifer M

Reply to A fan of honesty unlike sammy

7 months ago

Who are you

🤣 who are you to say that

Sarah

Who are the funders of this person? It makes insinuations but has no evidence to back up the headline or references to connect the statements.

Urannoying

thissh*tquality nah get out of here

-2

WinnieFan!!!

who the is saying that

Sharnie

What a weird man

Reply to Sharnie

Rhys is toxic and that is all he is. Not a nice guy to be honest with you.

Sasha T

Nice watch. Shows that dirty scumbag Rhys is a loser… he has no life and attacks people

Reply to Sasha T

Yup….

Jane

thanks.

-6

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