MIKE WIRTH
CEO of Chevron
Mike Wirth is the CEO of Chevron, the second-largest oil company in the United States. He is wanted as a climate criminal for his company’s direct relationship to fossil fuels, supporting environmentally destructive companies and politicians, and for a slew of environmental justice attacks ranging from Richmond, California to the Ecuadorian Amazon. Wirth has profited enormously off his climate crimes and lives a wealthy lifestyle thanks to his incredibly high salary, allowing him to own multiple properties and private jets, while his victims endure the detrimental consequences of his actions.
-
Birthday: October 5, 1960
Primary Residence: San Francisco, California
Hometown: Golden, CO
Current role: Chairman and CEO of Chevron (2018-present)
2023 Compensation: $26.5 million (Reuters)
Net worth: At least $180 million (WealthX)
Education: Bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado - Boulder (1982)
Board memberships, affiliations, and roles:
Elected Chairman of the American Petroleum Institute (2022-2024)
Member of the National Petroleum Council
Member of the Business Roundtable
Member of the World Economic Forum International Business Council
Member of the American Heart Association CEO Roundtable
Member of The Business Council
Member of the American Society of Corporate Executives
Chairman of CU Boulder Engineering Advisory Council
Member of GS Caltex Corp, Chevron-owned South Korean chemical company (2022-Present)
Member of the Tiger Woods Foundation
Member of the 49’ers Foundation
Director of Catalyst
Past roles:
Executive Vice President of Chevron’s Midstream and Development department (2016-2018)
Vice Chairman of Chevron’s board (2017)
Executive Vice President of Chevron’s Downstream & Chemicals department (2006-2015)
President of Chevron’s Global Supply and Trading department(2003-2006)
Director of Ampol, an Australian petroleum company (2001-2003)
President of Chevron's Asia, Middle East, and Africa Marketing Business Unit (2001-2003)
President of marketing at Chevron's subsidiary Caltex (2000-2001)
General Manager of Chevron Products (1999-2000)
Design Engineer for the Corporate Engineering Department of Chevron (1982-1999)
Fun facts:
Wirth received the Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award from CU Boulder in 2010 and the University Medal in 2014
Wirth has four Business Jets, with a total estimated value a total of roughly $25.5 million
-
Mike Wirth and the Chevron Corporation have allegedly committed innumerable crimes against the Earth and the communities that inhabit it, reportedly having 70 cases of environmental damage in 31 countries totaling “over $50B in settlement debts”. Of the $50B in compensation fines, Chevron has allegedly only paid 0.006% of the total settlement debt.
Chevon is responsible for 3.0% of global CO2 emissions from 1854-2022 and is listed as #4 on InfluenceMap’s list of Carbon Majors. By extracting fossil fuels and fighting the transition to renewable energy, Wirth contributes to catastrophic impacts on the world’s ecosystems. One estimate suggests that the emissions produced by oil giants like Chevron, Shell, BP, and Exxon Mobil together will cause 11.5 million premature deaths by the end of the century.
Chevron’s long history of climate deception is now catching up to it. In 2021, the company faced multiple lawsuits across 18 states for “lying about the damages it knew its products would cause.” Chevron has engaged in “misleading climate-related branding and lobbying” following the Paris Agreement. The company claims to aspire to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, but a report found that Chevron’s climate pledge relied on “junk carbon offsets and unviable technologies.” Research has also found that 93% of carbon offsets Chevron counted in its climate targets were considered “too environmentally problematic to be classified as anything other than worthless or junk.”
Chevron and its subsidiaries have a dark history of poisoning communities. Perhaps most notable is the case of Texaco in Ecuador: Texaco, now owned by Chevron, dumped millions of gallons of crude oil and toxic wastewater into the Amazon Rainforest. Despite the severe health damage done to the indigenous communities of the region, including birth defects, Texaco and Chevron have done everything in their power to fight accountability and refuse reparations to Ecuadorian communities.
There are also numerous cases of public health risks posed to communities in the US. The community living near the Chevron refinery in Richmond, California was exposed to toxic fumes on multiple occasions as a result of fires and other accidents in 2012. Despite paying some damages, Chevron has continued to dodge accountability and even arrested more than 200 protesters on the first anniversary of the 2012 fire.
-
Mike Wirth has made an exorbitant amount of money profiting off the Chevron corporation. Wirth’s net worth is estimated to be at least $180 million and is listed on As You Sow’s list of the 100 most overpaid CEOs. According to As You Sow, Wirth’s annual pay as CEO is roughly $23,573,925, which is a 157% overpay based on his expected pay (based on performance) of $14,976,607. While billions of people suffered from 2023 being the hottest year on record, Wirth’s pay rose 12% to $26.5 million.
Wirth’s personal profits from his crimes can also be found in the existence and use of hisfour Business Jets, which have a total estimated value of roughly $25.5 million. Wirth has two residences: one in Marin County, CA, and one in San Ramon, CA, which is home to Chevron’s headquarters. Wirth also has three listed properties in Huntington Beach, CA, Moraga, CA, and Alamo, CA.
-
In the years since Wirth has become CEO of Chevron, the company’s gas production and profit have increased. In 2022, the total greenhouse gas emissions of the Chevron Corporation was 725 million metric tons, which was roughly an eight percent increase from 2021. Chevron publishes annual reports detailing its “sustainability performance”, including details on GHG emissions, but uses complex data presentation and shifts the focus onto the company’s inner workings (employment, diversity, supply chain, etc).
-
Due to the scale of Chevron’s influence in the fossil fuel industry, the company has many adversaries working to hold it accountable for its climate crimes.
Climate Defiance most recently interrupted the Congressional Baseball Game in June of 2024, with activists attempting to storm the field with “END FOSSIL FUELS” on their shirts. The protesters called the game “Chevron-sponsored” and “unconscionable” and their efforts resulted in eight arrests. Climate Defiance similarly interrupted an event in March of 2024 on gender inclusivity hosted by Catalyst that Mike Wirth was attending to confront him about his climate crimes against Indigenous women. Wirth was swiftly escorted out of the event.
In May 2024, a group of “kayaktivists” – activists on kayaks – protested beside Chevron’s crude oil tankers on the San Francisco Bay, with signs saying “ABOLISH CHEVRON.”
Extinction Rebellion, an environmental activist group, has published articles advocating for the support of Steven Donziger’s work in the infamous Aguinda v. ChevronTexaco case, noting that “Chevron must pay”, and has even interviewed Donziger. In response to Chevron’s misleading goals to curb GHG emissions, Global Witness, Greenpeace, and Earthworks filed advertising complaints in 2021 with the Federal Trade Commission. The three environmental groups cited the FTC’s 2012 guidelines on the prevention of false environmental claims by companies in support of their petition.
Amazon Watch described the annual “Anti-Chevron Day” as a “global day of action” on May 21 to remind the public of Chevron’s environmental degradation and damage to communities. -
“We’re not selling a product that is evil, we’re selling a product that’s good.” – Wirth, 2023
“The reality is, [fossil fuel] is what runs the world today. It’s going to run the world tomorrow and five years from now, 10 years from now, 20 years from now.” – Wirth, 2022
“We accept the scientific consensus,” said Michael Wirth, the CEO of Chevron. “Climate change is real. Any suggestion that Chevron is engaged in disinformation and to mislead the public on these complex issues is simply wrong.” –Wirth, 2021
“One of the things we’ve chosen not to go into is wind and solar. These are technologies that are relatively mature. There is plenty of capital that’s available. The returns in wind and solar are actually being bid down, and we’ve concluded that management in our company can’t create value for shareholders by going into wind and solar.” – Wirth, 2021, in “Mad Money” interview (CNBC)
Connections within the Polluter Industrial Complex
-
In April 2020, top American oil executives, including Mike Wirth, met with Trump to discuss gas prices during COVID.
In the week following the January 6th Insurrection in 2021, in relation to Chevron’s political donations, Wirth commented that his team would “take a look at the events of last week and make sure those are brought into account as we make our decisions going forward.”
Trump hosted a private dinner with top oil executives, including Mike Wirth, on April 11th, 2024 at his private club in Mar-a-Lago
Representative Jamie Raskin sent out letters to the attendees of the dinner asking if Trump suggested a “quid-pro-quo” arrangement, following reports that Trump allegedly told guests "You all are wealthy enough”... "You should raise $1 billion to return me to the White House." The arrangement would reportedly include the reversal of Biden's strict permit restrictions for “liquefied natural gas exports, auction more oil drilling leases in the Gulf of Mexico and roll back rules on auto emissions.”
Chevron’s Political Contributions in 2024
Total: $5,061,234
Candidates and Parties
Outside Groups
Senate Leadership Fund: $2,500,000
Center Forward Committee: $100,000
Governing Majority Fund: $50,000
Lead PAC
Save America (founded and controlled by Donald Trump): $668
Carey (Hybrid PAC)
Congressional Leadership fund: $1,500,000
Value in Electing Women PAC: $25,000
Source of funds
PACs: $555,000
Soft: $4,185,000
Individuals: $317,630
Money to Candidates (>$10,000)
Joe Biden, D
$18,893 in 2024
Lifetime environmental score (1979-2008): 83%
Ted Cruz, R
Bruce Westerman, R
August Pfluger, R
Steve Scalise, R
Randy Feenstra, R
Mike Wirth’s Political Contributions
Money to parties
Money to PACs
Majority Cmte PAC, $5,000 on 3/31/2023
Chevron Corp PAC Individual Donors (2023-2024)
There are 1,369 records of individual donors donating to Chevron Corp PAC, all of which work at Chevron under various departments
The following donated $5,000 to Chevron Corp PAC in 2023
Wanda M. Austin, Marillyn A. Hewson, JD Bonney, David J. O’Reilly, Kenneth T. Derr, Cynthia Warner, Donald James III Umpleby, Dambisa F. Moyo, Charles W. Moorman, and Uriel M. Oseguera
-
Chevron is represented by Singer Associates
Singer Associates is listed on Clean Creative’s F-List
Singer Associates’ notable clients:
Nike, Ford, Alaska Airlines, Airbnb, Coca-Cola, UBS (financed $8.84B in fossil fuels in 2023), AAA, Hilton, Marriott, Calpine (natural gas company), and the San Francisco 49’ers Foundation (Wirth is a board member)
Clients with conflicting ideologies:
The Climate Group: environmental non-profit “with a mission to drive climate action, fast, and achieve a world of net zero carbon emissions by 2050, with greater prosperity for all.”
Recology: seeks “to eliminate waste by developing and discovering sustainable resource recovery practices that can be implemented globally.”
Chevron sponsors Permian Proud, a Texas newspaper
Chevron owns a refinery in Richmond, CA and owns the newspaper The Richmond Standard which promotes Chevron’s image
Chevron has been accused of building a “newsroom”, or corporate PR firm, to “preempt reporting it can’t fully control”
-
Mike Wirth
Sent $5,000 to the American Petroleum Institute on 4/06/2023
Sent $5,000 to the American Petroleum Institute on 5/18/2022
Chevron’s InfluenceMap Scores for Climate Policy Engagement
Performance band: D-
Organization score (extent to which the company engages in “climate policy aligned with the Paris Agreement”): 44%
Relationship Score (extent to which the company’s industry associations engage in“climate policy aligned with the Paris Agreement”): 42%
Chevron Corp’s Lobbying in 2024
Total Expenses
Expenses by industry:
Oil & Gas: $1,800,000
Renewable Energy: $40,000 from Renewable Energy Group, biodiesel company owned by Chevron
Lobbying firms used in 2024:
31 lobbyists, 22 of which are former congressional staff or government regulators
Bills lobbied for:
H.R.1: Lower Energy Costs Act
Seeks to increase domestic energy production and reverse “anti-energy policies advanced by the Biden Administration”
Pushed by Majority Leader Steve Scalise, who Chevron sent $11,000 to in 2024
H.R.4394: “Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2024”
Bill “...provides $58.191 billion in total funding for the Department of Energy, Army Corps…” in 2024. In February of 2024, the DOE selected three geothermal energy projects to receive “up to $60 million”, including a project by Chevron New Energies.
H.R.7377: Royalty Resiliency Act
Bill seeks to change how oil and gas leaseholders can “develop leased land and drill wells in areas where they could not independently comply with certain regulations” by offering joint agreements. It would also change how leaseholders “allocate royalty payments before the Department of the Interior (DOI) approves the final allocations.”
S.2986: WHALE Act
The Warding Off Hostile Administrative Lease Efforts (WHALE) Act aims to stop the US DOC and DOI from restricting maritime rules in relation to the critically endangered Rice’s whale “that would impede offshore energy development and military activities.” The bill is in retaliation for the Biden administration’s removal of “six million acres offshore” for the protection of the Rice’s whale. Legislation is headed by Senator Bill Cassidy who, in response to the Administration's removal, said “is there really no way for the whale to swim away from and around the area?”
Conflicting interest: Chevron also lobbied for H.R.6008 R.I.C.E.’s Whale Act, which advocated for the protection of the Rice’s whale.
S.785: Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act of 2023
The bill seeks to modify the Clean Air Act’s restrictions on “Reid Vapor Pressure (a measure of gasoline's volatility) that are placed on gasoline during the summer ozone season”, allowing gasoline that has “more than 10% ethanol to be sold year round.”
H.R.5616: BRIDGE Production Act of 2023
The bill protects the continued supply of offshore energy, requiring the Biden administration to “hold 10 lease sales over the next five years.”
-
Chevron’s Law Firms and their Climate Accountability Score:
Jones Day
Climate Accountability Score: F
Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman
Climate Accountability Score: D
Latham & Watkins
Climate Accountability Score: F
Richmond v. Chevron
Background
Chevron has been criticized several times throughout the past thirty five years for safety concerns posed to the community of Richmond, a primarily African American community, created by their Richmond refinery. There were a total of 304 accidents caused by Chevron (fires, oil spills, etc) between 1989-1995. There have been several major incidents including explosions and fires in 1989, 1999, and 2012.
The 2012 fire was particularly controversial, forcing about 15,000 people to seek professional medical attention for respiratory problems as a result of toxic fumes. The community has survived through several previous incidents, but it has taken a major toll on the population with unusually high rates of asthma and other respiratory problems amongst residents.
Aguinda v. ChevronTexaco
Background
Between 1964 and 1990, Texaco, later acquired by Chevron in 2001, had significant oil drilling operations in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Ecuadorians and their legal representatives allege that during this time, Texaco dumped more than 17 million gallons of crude oil, 16 million gallons of toxic wastewater, and additional miscellaneous hazardous waste into the Amazon Rainforest.
The people of the region suffered significant health problems including birth defects, various cancers, and even death. The event is one of the largest oil-related catastrophes in the world, but isn’t publicly described as such because it was not a result of a malfunction or accident, but instead was a deliberate action by Texaco to cut costs and increase profits.
Lawsuit
In 1993, a lawsuit was brought forward representing over 30,000 indigenous Ecuadorians and local farmers. This case, filed in United States federal court, was led by human rights lawyer Stephen Donziger and Massachusetts attorney Cristóbal Bonifaz. The suit faced a series of judgements and appeals including disputes over United States jurisdiction.
Judgment
In 2011, a landmark judgment was reached, ordering Chevron to pay $18 billion to fix environmental and punitive damage, but was later reduced to $9 billion by Ecuador’s Supreme Court after Chevron appealed. Chevron refused to accept this judgment and a spokesperson vowed that Chevron would create “a lifetime of litigation” for victims and that they would fight until “until Hell freezes over, and then fight it out on the ice.”
Chevron’s retaliation
Chevron filed a lawsuit under the RICO (Racketeering Influence and Corrupt Organizations) Act claiming that the plaintiffs had used means of massive fraud to unlawfully extort Chevron. This lawsuit named almost every lawyer, scientific consultant, activist organization, and named Ecuadorian as conspirators. Chevron, with essentially unlimited financial resources, was able to shop for a heavily biased judge, Lewis A. Kaplan.
Their key witness has admitted to lying under oath after extensive preparation by Chevron’s legal team and was paid more than $2 million for providing false testimony. Despite overwhelming evidence of Chevron’s wrongdoings, the judge presiding over the case ruled in Chevron’s favor and found Stephen Donziger to be in contempt of court for refusing to hand over electronic devices to Chevron’s legal team. Shockingly, Kaplan then appointed a private prosecutor to pursue criminal charges for contempt of court as well as choosing the judge to preside over the case instead of using random assignment.
This judge, Loretta Preska, had held a position on the advisory board of the Federalist Society, to which Chevron had donated significant money in previous years.
Donziger was placed under house arrest in 2019 and remained there for the two years it took to go to trial. In July 2021, Judge Preska found Donziger guilty of six counts of criminal contempt of court, sentencing him to a maximum of six months in prison. He served just over a month in federal prison before returning to house arrest, where he was released in April of 2022.
Civil Case
In a 2012 civil case brought against Chevron in August of 2012, Chevron was represented by Jones Day, a notorious firm allied with big oil (Climate Accountability Score: F). In this case, Jones Day struck down liability and tax loss claims by the city and settled outside of court for $5 million before the case went to trial. Chevron also faced six criminal charges to which they pleaded no contest and were ordered to pay $2 million and to make significant safety improvements to the facility. In 2013, on the anniversary of the fire, 210 protesters were arrested. Since 2012, there have been multiple smaller incidents with the Richmond refinery that have brought Chevron to court.
-
Chevron claims to benefit from its memberships in “policy think tanks and forums.”
Chevron’s relationships with think tanks
Member of the Health Enhancement Research Organization (HERO)
Member of the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) which engages in “bipartisan conversation about ESG issues with U.S. government policymakers.”
The Global Warming Policy Foundation (GWPF)
Previously claimed independence from the fossil fuel industry
The Sarah Scaife Foundation sent GWPF $210,525 in 2018 and 2020
Has $30M shares in US energy companies, including $5.7M in Chevron
Chevron’s Technology Ventures used Gensler to design a think tank for its employees.
-
Chevron’s relationships with trade associations:
Strongest relationships (identified by Lobby Map)
Strong relationships (identified by Lobby Map)
Other key industry trade associations:
National Association of Manufacturers (NAM)
Western States petroleum Association (WSPA)
Transparency about indirect influence
Lobby Map scored Chevron’s transparency about indirect influence of industry associations: -2
-
Mike Wirth graduated from the University of Colorado-Boulder in 1982 with a degree in Chemical Engineering. Wirth is the chairman of the CU Boulder Engineering Advisory Council and Vice Chairman of the Dean’s Engineering Advisory Committee. Wirth is also a member of the Deans’ Club for the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, where he oversees Chevron’s funding and involvement with the Colorado Center for Biorefining and Biofuels (C2B2). Other notable sponsors of the C2B2 include ConocoPhillips, Dow Chemical, Shell Global Solutions, and General Motors.
Wirth and his wife, Julie Wirth, appear to donate annually to CU Boulder’s College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, donating $1,000 in 2013. From 2011-2019, Wirth has donated at least $295,000 to Saint Mary’s College of California. In 2010, Wirth and Julie donated over $5,000 to the University of San Diego. -
Californians for Energy Independence
Chevron reportedly gave millions of dollars to this nonprofit organization that describes itself as containing “200,000 Californians”, but it’s been found to be funded by fossil fuel companies
Employees
CEI has three listed employees, all of whom work elsewhere
Chief financial officer: Steven S. Lucas, a lawyer for Nielsen Merksamer
Nielsen Merksamer works on “ballot initiatives and elections”
Director: Rock Zierman, the CEO of the California Independent Petroleum Association
President: Cathay Reheis-Boyd, former president and CEO of the Western States Petroleum Association (WSPA)
WSPA is one of Chevron’s trade associations
WSPA has run multiple astroturf organizations
-
Chevron owns Iron Horse Insurance Company as a captive insurance company.
This likely helps Chevron to cut prices by not having to pay the premiums of third party insurance. The scope of this captive insurance is unclear.
Provides insurance to employees: Securian Life Insurance, MetLife auto insurance, Genworth long-term care insurance, and DeltaCare USA dental insurance
None are listed on the Insure Our Future’s Environmental Scorecard
-
Chevron’s Affiliate Companies:
Atlas Energy
Chevron Products Co
Chevron USA
Clayton Williams Energy
Noble Energy
PDC Energy
Renewable Energy Group
Texaco