Jeremy Clarkson has publicly dismissed online claims that Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is attempting to buy his Oxfordshire farm for £100 million, describing the rumours as baseless.
The speculation centres on Diddly Squat Farm, Clarkson’s 1,000-acre holding in Chadlington, near Chipping Norton in the Cotswolds. The former Top Gear and The Grand Tour presenter purchased the land—then known as Curdle Hill—in 2008. In recent years, the farm has become internationally recognisable as the principal filming location for the Amazon Prime Video series Clarkson’s Farm, which has run for four seasons and is preparing to launch its fifth.
Over the past few months, social media platforms have seen a surge of posts and short-form videos alleging that Gates had tabled a nine-figure bid to acquire the property. Several clips framed the supposed offer as a symbolic clash between “the farmer and the billionaire,” suggesting that interests linked to Gates had been circling the Cotswolds estate.
However, there is no evidence to support the claims, and Clarkson himself has now responded directly.
The issue came to a head when a user on X (formerly Twitter) tagged the 65-year-old broadcaster in a post featuring what appeared to be an AI-generated video discussing the alleged sale. The user questioned the authenticity of the clip, writing: “This doesn’t sound like you. The cadence and some accents sound off. Am I just suspicious of AI? Or is this genuinely your video?”
Clarkson replied succinctly: “Everything on the internet is b*****ks.”
His response appears to dismiss not only the specific claim about a £100 million bid but also the broader wave of AI-generated content and misinformation that has circulated around the farm in recent months.
Jeremy Clarkson has become an unlikely figurehead in debates about British agriculture since launching Clarkson’s Farm on Amazon Prime Video in 2021. The series documents his often chaotic attempts to run Diddly Squat Farm with the help of local farming contractor Kaleb Cooper and partner Lisa Hogan. While initially conceived as light entertainment, the programme has evolved into a platform highlighting the economic pressures facing UK farmers, from fluctuating crop prices to regulatory changes and inheritance tax concerns.
The rumours involving Bill Gates surfaced amid growing public interest in farmland ownership, particularly the role of wealthy investors in acquiring agricultural land. Gates has become the largest private farmland owner in the United States, controlling extensive acreage through a network of investment entities. His land acquisitions have attracted scrutiny and debate in America, especially regarding food security, sustainability, and corporate influence over agriculture.
That broader context may have fuelled online narratives suggesting that Diddly Squat could be next. Yet there has been no official indication of any approach, offer, or negotiation involving Gates and Clarkson’s property.
Located north of Chipping Norton, Diddly Squat has also been the subject of local planning disputes and intense public attention. Since the show’s debut, the farm shop and on-site ventures have drawn significant visitor numbers, occasionally leading to tensions with local authorities over traffic and infrastructure. Its prominence in British popular culture has made it fertile ground for viral speculation.
Industry observers note that high-profile land sales in the Cotswolds would typically involve formal announcements, legal filings, or estate agent listings—none of which have materialised in this case.
Clarkson’s Farm series five is expected to be released later this year, following the completion of filming last September. The programme remains one of Amazon Prime Video’s most successful UK factual entertainment titles, with a strong international audience.
For now, Clarkson appears content to let the rumours dissipate with a characteristically blunt remark. Whether the online speculation fades as quickly as it emerged remains to be seen, but there is no substantive evidence to suggest that Diddly Squat Farm is on the market—let alone the subject of a £100 million takeover bid.
