Who is Banksy?
A 2026 Reuters investigation says New York arrest records name Robin Gunningham, which is rated Likely. Banksy has never confirmed or denied a name, and the other named candidates are unverified.
- LikelyTheoryBanksy is Robin Gunningham
- ✓ ConfirmedMar 2026Banksy’s lawyer disputes unnamed “details” but neither confirms nor denies the name
Banksy has worked under a false name for about thirty years. Newspapers, scientists, bloggers and, in 2026, Reuters have all said they know who he is. The artist has never confirmed any of it. This case sets out what each claim rests on, and what is still unproven.
The question Who is the street artist Banksy, and what do the records actually show about the claims to have unmasked them?
What the records say
The documented story holds up: 11 of 14 timeline steps are Confirmed by the records (score 95).
4 theories checked: 2 unverified, 1 disputed, 1 likely. A theory is rated by its key claim.
Banksy’s lawyer disputes unnamed “details” but neither confirms nor denies the name
confirmedCredible: two independent tier-2 reports. See the step
Down the rabbit hole
The ground line is the documented timeline. Each tunnel is a theory that branches off it; every chamber is a step, coloured by how well the records support it. The deepest chamber is the theory’s key claim. Tap one to open it.
Main timeline
Oldest first- Jul 2003likely
ITV News films a masked man presented as Banksy
Before the Turf War show in east London, ITV reporter Haig Gordon interviewed a man in a cap with a T-shirt over his lower face, who said: “I’m disguised because you can’t really be a graffiti writer and then go public.” The tape was found in ITV’s archive in 2019. Gordon said he had “no evidence” on whether it was the real Banksy.
- Summer 2003 (released 21 Nov 2023)confirmed
In a BBC interview, asked if he is “Robert Banks”, the artist says “It’s Robbie”
BBC reporter Nigel Wrench recorded the interview for the Turf War show; an edited version aired on Radio 4’s PM that July. The full tape was released in 2023 on the BBC podcast The Banksy Story. Its host, James Peak, asked whether it was “the right name” or “a clever joke”.
- Jul 2004likely
A London paper prints a photo said to show Banksy’s face; his manager denies it
Reuters reports that photographs taken in Jamaica by photographer Peter Dean Rickards were run by the Evening Standard under the headline “Unmasked at last”, and that Banksy’s manager Steve Lazarides told the paper it was “someone else”. The Standard did not name the man.
T2Reuters, “In search of Banksy”, 13 Mar 2026Chapter 3, “On the trail”T3Mail on Sunday / MailOnline, 12 Jul 2008 - 14 Jan 2008confirmed
Pest Control Office, the company that speaks and authenticates for Banksy, is registered
Companies House lists Pest Control Office Ltd as incorporated on 14 Jan 2008. The BBC and Reuters describe it as the artist’s authentication body; its own site says it is “the sole point of contact for the artist”.
T1Companies House: Pest Control Office Ltd (06472402)T2BBC News, “Who is Banksy? What we do and don’t know”“How are Banksy artworks verified?”T2Reuters, “In search of Banksy”, 13 Mar 2026“The Banksy economy”T3Pest Control Office, FAQ“What is Pest Control?”involved party: Banksy and his company, Pest Control Office - 12 Jul 2008confirmed
The Mail on Sunday names a Bristol-born artist, Robin Gunningham, as Banksy
The paper said a year-long inquiry had “come as close as anyone possibly can” to revealing Banksy’s identity. The name came from an unnamed man in Bristol who said the man in the 2004 photo was “formerly known as Robin Gunningham”. Banksy never confirmed it.
- 3 Mar 2016confirmed
Queen Mary University of London scientists say map analysis of his works supports the 2008 name
The study ran 140 locations of Banksy works in Bristol and London through a “geographic profiling” model used for serial crime and disease outbreaks. Its abstract says the results highlight places linked to “one prominent candidate”, “supporting his identification as Banksy”. The BBC reported that Banksy’s lawyers delayed it over the wording of a press release.
- Sep 2016confirmed
Massive Attack’s Robert Del Naja denies a blogger’s claim that he is Banksy
A blog by Craig Williams matched Banksy works to Massive Attack tour stops. Del Naja told the Daily Mail: “It would be a good story but sadly not true.” He called Banksy “a mate” and the timing “purely a matter of logistics and coincidence”.
- 5 Oct 2018confirmed
“Girl with Balloon” shreds itself at Sotheby’s seconds after selling for £1,042,000
Banksy posted a video saying: “A few years ago, I secretly built a shredder into a painting.” It is unclear how the shredder was set off. Pest Control retitled the work “Love is in the Bin” and the buyer kept it. The stunt showed the artist could act inside an auction room without being seen.
- 7 Sep 2020confirmed
Former Art Attack host Neil Buchanan’s website says he is not Banksy
A social-media rumour said Banksy works had appeared where Buchanan’s old band played. A notice on his website said: “Neil Buchanan ISN’T Banksy,” and that “there is no truth in the rumour whatsoever”.
- 14 Sep 2020confirmed
An EU trade mark office rules that anonymity stops Banksy from protecting his work in the usual way
In a challenge by the greetings-card firm Full Colour Black, the EUIPO cancelled Pest Control’s trade mark on the “Flower Thrower” image. It found the filing was made in bad faith and noted that “Banksy has chosen to be anonymous and cannot be identified”, which would hinder him from protecting copyrights.
- Nov 2022likely
Banksy murals appear in Ukraine, painted by two masked men
Banksy confirmed seven works in Ukraine in a video on his Instagram. Reuters says residents of Horenka saw two masked painters arrive in an ambulance with the photographer Giles Duley, whose charity supplies ambulances, and that Banksy later thanked Duley publicly.
T2Reuters, “In search of Banksy”, 13 Mar 2026Chapter 1, “An initial clue” and “The photo lineup” - 22 Nov 2023 – 1 Apr 2026confirmed
The High Court lets Banksy be named only as “Banksy”, then finds a card firm used his anonymity as leverage
In a libel claim by Full Colour Black, Banksy’s side applied to keep his real identity out of the case; a March 2024 consent order said he be referred to only as “Banksy”. In April 2026 the judge found the claim was pursued to put pressure on him through “the well-known sensitivity of Banksy about preserving his anonymity”, and ordered the firm to pay costs.
T1Full Colour Black v Banksy [2026] EWHC 795 (KB)[5], [37], [45], [121]; court summary para 7 - 13 Mar 2026confirmed
Reuters says records of a 2000 New York arrest prove Banksy is Robin Gunningham
Reuters says it found police and court records of a man caught defacing a billboard in Manhattan on 18 Sep 2000, including a handwritten confession it says revealed “beyond dispute” Banksy’s identity. It says the man was Robin Gunningham, who later changed his legal name. NPR noted it had not independently confirmed the finding.
T2Reuters, “In search of Banksy”, 13 Mar 2026Chapter 2, “Caught in the act”T2NPR, interview with Simon Gardner, 22 Mar 2026 - Mar 2026confirmed
Banksy’s lawyer disputes unnamed “details” but neither confirms nor denies the name
Lawyer Mark Stephens wrote that Banksy “does not accept that many of the details contained within your enquiry are correct”, without saying which, and urged Reuters not to publish. Pest Control said the artist “has decided to say nothing”. Former manager Steve Lazarides told Reuters: “The name you’ve got I killed years ago.”
T2Reuters, “In search of Banksy”, 13 Mar 2026opening section; Chapter 3T2BBC News, “Who is Banksy? What we do and don’t know”“What do we actually know about Banksy’s identity?”
Branches
Go down oneA branch is only as strong as its weakest step so far. The count is how many sources back each step.
“Banksy is Robin Gunningham”
Is Banksy the Bristol-born artist Robin Gunningham, the man the Mail on Sunday named in 2008?
The Mail on Sunday’s investigation first put the name in print, based on an unnamed Bristol man who identified the man in a 2004 photo. The 2016 map study and the 2026 Reuters investigation both start from that name.
- 807,686 YouTube views, Brew, “After 30 Years, Banksy Has Been Doxxed” (2026; critical of the unmasking, but about this identification) as of 13 Oct 2026 T3YouTube: Brew, “After 30 Years, Banksy Has Been Doxxed”
- 232,603 YouTube views, 10 News, “New Investigation Claims To Reveal Banksy’s True Identity” (2026) as of 13 Oct 2026 T3YouTube: 10 News, 16 Mar 2026
- 134,511 YouTube views, CBC News, “Has Banksy’s identity been uncovered?” (2026) as of 13 Oct 2026 T3YouTube: CBC News, The Current, 19 Mar 2026
- 15,553 YouTube views, Reuters’ own video “In Search of Banksy” (2026) as of 13 Oct 2026 T3YouTube: Reuters, “In Search of Banksy”involved party: Reuters, which published the investigation
A signed confession from a 2000 New York arrest carries his name
Reuters says the confession and court file name Robin Gunningham, and it published a photo of the signed confession.
T2Reuters, “In search of Banksy”, 13 Mar 2026Chapter 2The premise: likelyReported by one strong outlet that says it reviewed the records. The court file is not public online, so we could not read it, and NPR said it had not confirmed the finding independently.
Maps of 140 Banksy works point to places linked to him
The 2016 geographic-profiling study says its results support his identification.
The premise: confirmedTrue that the peer-reviewed study reports this. It is indirect evidence: it shows where the works cluster, not who made them. A geographic-profiling expert told the BBC the study did not use a timeline of when works appeared and kept outlying locations in.
He called himself “Robbie” on tape in 2003
Asked if he was “Robert Banks”, the artist said “It’s Robbie.”
The premise: confirmedTrue that he said it. It fits Robin but also Robert, and the podcast host who released it said it might be “a clever joke”.
Banksy’s side has never denied the name
His lawyer disputed “many of the details” but did not say the identification was wrong.
T2Reuters, “In search of Banksy”, 13 Mar 2026opening sectionThe premise: likelyReuters reports that Stephens wrote “without confirming or denying Banksy’s identity”. Silence is not proof, and the BBC reports that people close to the artist dispute Reuters’ reading.
T2Reuters, “In search of Banksy”, 13 Mar 2026opening sectionT2BBC News, “Who is Banksy? What we do and don’t know”“What do we actually know about Banksy’s identity?”
- confirmed
The Mail on Sunday’s 2008 identification rested on an unnamed source
An unnamed Bristol man gave the paper the name; the paper also printed that Banksy “denied the picture was of him”.
StartStrength so far:confirmed· 1 source on this step - confirmed
The 2016 Queen Mary study says the spread of his works supports the same man
Biologist Steve Le Comber told the BBC: “I’d be surprised if it’s not [Gunningham], even without our analysis.” He said the team did not believe they had “unmasked” him.
= HoldsStrength so far:confirmed· 2 sources on this step - confirmed
Reuters says the 2000 New York arrest records name Robin Gunningham
It says he is “repeatedly named in court and police documents”, that the felony charge was reduced to disorderly conduct, and that he did community service. It also says there was no record of him entering Ukraine under that name.
T2Reuters, “In search of Banksy”, 13 Mar 2026Chapter 2= HoldsStrength so far:confirmed· 1 source on this step - likely
Key claim: Banksy is Robin Gunningham
Supported by Reuters’ account of the 2000 court records and, indirectly, by the 2016 map study. Not confirmed: we could not read the court file, no second strong outlet has checked it independently, and the artist has neither confirmed nor denied it. No record read contradicts it.
T2Reuters, “In search of Banksy”, 13 Mar 2026Chapter 2T1Hauge et al., Journal of Spatial Science, 2016abstractT2NPR, interview with Simon Gardner, 22 Mar 2026▼ WeakerStrength so far:likely· 3 sources on this step
Bullshit meter
- No step is Unverified or Disproven.
- Key claim contradicted by tier 1? No. No record read contradicts it. The strongest support is Reuters’ account of 2000 New York court records, which we could not read and which no second outlet has checked independently.
Fluff meter: possibly planted
- Can’t be traced to an original record. Absent: Reuters traces it to 2000 New York police and court records and published a photo of the signed confession. We could not read the file itself.
- First appeared from new or anonymous accounts. Present: the 2008 identification came from an unnamed Bristol man quoted by the Mail on Sunday.
- Coordinated identical wording. Not measured.
- Cited source doesn’t exist. Not measured. The New York court file is not public online.
- Later contradicted. Absent: Banksy’s lawyer disputes unnamed details, and no record read contradicts the identification.
● present · ○ absent · – not measured. Lists signals only. It never accuses anyone.
Personal interest meter
- Banksy and Pest Control Office, the artist’s company authenticates and sells his work; a 2026 High Court judgment records that he “has taken great care to preserve his anonymity”. T1Full Colour Black v Banksy [2026] EWHC 795 (KB)[5]
- Steve Lazarides, former manager, auctioned Banksy items in 2024, including 15 burner phones once used “for contacting Banksy”, Reuters reports. T2Reuters, “In search of Banksy”, 13 Mar 2026“The allure of anonymity”
“Has a documented interest” only, each one sourced. Never an implication of guilt.
Correlation meter
- Reuters, March 2026, the arrest records (main step 13), the response from Banksy’s side (step 14), the Ukraine painters (step 11) and the evidence used in all four theories. One outlet carries most of the weight in this case. T2Reuters, “In search of Banksy”, 13 Mar 2026
- The 2003 “It’s Robbie” recording, cited by supporters of the Gunningham theory (Robin) and the Del Naja theory (Robert); it fits both and proves neither. T2BBC News, 21 Nov 2023
- The Mail on Sunday, July 2008, the origin of the Gunningham theory, and the earliest record found of the “collective” rumour. T3Mail on Sunday / MailOnline, 12 Jul 2008
- Full Colour Black, the same card firm brought the 2020 EU trade mark challenge (step 10) and the High Court libel claim (step 12), in both of which Banksy’s anonymity was central. T1Full Colour Black v Banksy [2026] EWHC 795 (KB)[121]
Links to other cases appear once those cases exist.
Who worked on this
This case was assembled by the site from public records. Contributions are not open yet. Nothing here is invented, so the counts are zero.
This is the first published version of the case.
Sources
- T2Simon Gardner, James Pearson and Blake Morrison, “In search of Banksy”, a Reuters investigation, filed 13 Mar 2026, 10 a.m. GMT (with the companion pieces “The Banksy economy” and “Philanthropy and activism”). Reuters blocks scripted access; the Wayback Machine copy of 7 Apr 2026 was read in full.. www.reuters.com · copy read: web.archive.org
- T2“What a team of investigative reporters found out about Banksy’s identity”, NPR, 22 Mar 2026 (host Adrian Ma interviews Reuters reporter Simon Gardner; transcript). www.npr.org
- T2Bea Swallow, “Who is Banksy? What we do and don’t know about elusive street artist”, BBC News. The page metadata gives 19 Aug 2021, but the text has been updated since (it covers events up to 30 Apr 2026). Read 13 Oct 2026.. www.bbc.co.uk
- T3Claudia Joseph, “Graffiti artist Banksy unmasked … as a former public schoolboy from middle-class suburbia”, MailOnline, created 12 Jul 2008 (The Mail on Sunday’s investigation). A tabloid identification resting on an unnamed source: a record of what the paper claimed.. www.dailymail.co.uk
- T1Michelle V. Hauge, Mark D. Stevenson, D. Kim Rossmo and Steven C. Le Comber, “Tagging Banksy: using geographic profiling to investigate a modern art mystery”, Journal of Spatial Science 61 (1), pp. 185–190, published online 3 Mar 2016. Peer-reviewed. Only the abstract was read (the publisher and repository copies refused scripted access).. doi.org
- T2“What does geographic profiling have to do with modern art?”, Queen Mary University of London news release, published 3 Mar 2016. www.qmul.ac.uk
- T2Jonathan Webb, “Banksy lawyers delayed geographical profiling study”, BBC News, 3 Mar 2016. www.bbc.co.uk
- T2Noor Nanji, “Banksy: Street artist ‘confirms’ first name in lost BBC interview”, BBC News, 21 Nov 2023. www.bbc.co.uk
- T2Issy Ronald, “Is this Banksy’s real name? Resurfaced interview suggests it could be”, CNN, 21 Nov 2023. edition.cnn.com
- T2“Rare ‘Banksy’ Interview Discovered In ITV Vault”, Press Association, published by HuffPost UK, 4 Jul 2019. www.huffingtonpost.co.uk
- T2“Banksy posts video of £1m painting shredding stunt at Sotheby’s”, BBC News, 6 Oct 2018. www.bbc.co.uk
- T2“Woman to keep shredded Banksy Girl With Balloon painting”, BBC News, 11 Oct 2018. www.bbc.co.uk
- T1European Union Intellectual Property Office, Cancellation Division, Cancellation No 33 843 C (Invalidity), Full Colour Black Limited v Pest Control Office Limited, decision of 14 Sep 2020 on EU trade mark No 12 575 155 (the “Flower Thrower” image). Read from a copy of the decision PDF hosted by the law firm BDL IP.. www.bdl-ip.com
- T2“Banksy loses battle with greetings card firm over ‘flower bomber’ trademark”, BBC News, 17 Sep 2020. www.bbc.co.uk
- T1Full Colour Black Ltd v The artist known as “Banksy” and Pest Control Office Ltd [2026] EWHC 795 (KB), judgment of Mr Justice Nicklin, High Court of England and Wales, 1 Apr 2026 (approved judgment and the court’s summary). www.judiciary.uk
- T1Companies House register entry, PEST CONTROL OFFICE LTD, company number 06472402 (status, type and incorporation date). Read 13 Oct 2026. Companies House notes it does not check the accuracy of what is filed.. find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk
- T3involved party: Banksy and his company, Pest Control Office “What is Pest Control?” and other questions, FAQ page of Pest Control Office, the artist’s own office. Read 13 Oct 2026. The claimant’s own record.. pestcontroloffice.com
- T2Nash Jenkins, “Massive Attack Member Named as Guerilla Artist Banksy”, TIME, 2 Sep 2016. time.com
- T2Brian Boucher, “‘We Are All Banksy,’ Says Massive Attack’s Del Naja, Denying Rumors”, artnet News, 7 Sep 2016. artnet blocks scripted access; read as republished by HuffPost the same day.. news.artnet.com · copy read: www.huffpost.com
- T2“Did Goldie just reveal who Banksy is?”, BBC News, 23 Jun 2017. www.bbc.co.uk
- T2“Neil Buchanan: Former Art Attack host denies Banksy rumours”, BBC News, 7 Sep 2020. www.bbc.co.uk
- T3“After 30 Years, Banksy Has Been Doxxed”, Brew channel, YouTube, published 25 Apr 2026. www.youtube.com
- T3“New Investigation Claims To Reveal Banksy’s True Identity | 10 News+”, 10 News channel, YouTube, published 16 Mar 2026. www.youtube.com
- T3“Has Banksy’s identity been uncovered? | The Current”, CBC News channel, YouTube, published 19 Mar 2026 (interview with Reuters reporter Blake Morrison). www.youtube.com
- T3involved party: Reuters, which published the investigation “In Search of Banksy”, Reuters channel, YouTube, published 21 Mar 2026. www.youtube.com
- T3“Banksy’s Identity May Have Accidentally Been Revealed By Goldie”, StreetArtNews channel, YouTube, published 23 Jun 2017 (audio from the Distraction Pieces podcast). www.youtube.com
- T4“Banksy ‘named as Robert’ as musician Goldie lets slip in interview”, Graf Eyez channel, YouTube, published 29 Aug 2017. www.youtube.com
- T3“Who is Banksy, ACTUALLY?”, The Infographics Show channel, YouTube, published 25 Feb 2021. Its description asks whether “Banksy is multiple people”.. www.youtube.com
- T4“PROOF that Neil Buchanan is BANKSY”, Jaimsuu channel, YouTube, published 7 Sep 2020. www.youtube.com
- T4“Art Attack Host Claims He is NOT Banksy | Thats what Banksy would say!”, Chair View channel, YouTube, published 7 Sep 2020. www.youtube.com