John Johnstone (East India Company)

John Johnstone
from a larger painting
Born(1734-04-28)28 April 1734
Edinburgh, Scotland
Died10 December 1795(1795-12-10) (aged 61)
NationalityScottish
Known forMaking a fortune in India (equivalent to £36.2 million in 2025).
SpouseElizabeth

John Johnstone (28 April 1734 – 10 December 1795) was a Scottish nabob, a corrupt official of the British East India Company who returned home with great wealth. Described as "a shrewd and unscrupulous business man", he survived several scandals and became a major landowner when he returned to Scotland in 1765.

Johnstone sat in the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1774 to 1780, having bribed his way to a victory in the Dysart Burghs.