EXCLUSIVE: University of Edinburgh purchased a car worth over £40K used by Peter Mathieson
By Maryse Bots and Lucy Frewin
The Edinburgh Dot can confirm that the University of Edinburgh purchased a car worth over £40,000 used by Vice Chancellor Peter Mathieson.
A university staff member told The Edinburgh Dot that a Lexus ES, owned by the University of Edinburgh, is used frequently by the Vice Chancellor.
The UK retail price of the Lexus ES at the time it was purchased in 2023 was between £40,010 and £58,055, according to Lexus. This makes it amongst the most expensive cars owned by the University.
A Freedom of Information request obtained by The Edinburgh Dot showed a Lexus ES listed under the ‘Support Services’ vehicles. The other vehicles under the remit of Support Services are a tractor, transit vehicles, and a forklift. The identified Lexus is the only one owned by the University of Edinburgh.
Questions over the use of the car follow a series of investigations into Peter Mathieson’s expenses, with the Vice-Chancellor’s annual salary rising to £426,000 last month.
In April 2025, The National revealed that the University of Edinburgh had spent a total of £31,861 on flights for the Vice Chancellor between October 2023 and June 2024, more than 90 per cent were business-class tickets.
The National also revealed that a further £11,340 had been spent in the same period on Mathieson’s taxi fares, public transport, and accommodation costs.
This comes as the University of Edinburgh faces criticism over plans to cut its spending by £140 million to fix an alleged ‘funding black hole’.
Back in September, The Edinburgh Dot revealed that a course within the School of Geosciences had been cut mid-semester, amid cost saving measures.
A University of Edinburgh spokesperson told The Edinburgh Dot:
“As with many other large organisations, a University car is available for use by key external visitors and guests, as well as senior staff. All vehicles purchased by the University go through appropriate procurement procedures to ensure long-term viability, cost-effectiveness and that they meet our sustainability principles.”