BP Snags a Six‑Figure Windfall While Brits Pay Big on Their Bills
In 2022, BP’s chief executive, Bernard Looney, took home a staggering £10 million – a figure that’s 170 times the average employee’s €65,000 salary. It’s almost as if he bought a small country, while the rest of the workforce watched their wages trip up the ladder.
Why the Numbers Matter
- CEO salary – £10 million
- Average employee pay – £58,800 (over 4 years)
- Ratio – 170 to 1
- Company profit – £23.4 billion
- UK household energy bill → ~£4,300 per year – four times higher than pre‑war levels
The War‑Funded Fortune
BP’s profits doubled to a record £23.4 billion, riding a wave of high oil prices that surged after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The company’s coffers have built up “millions of pounds in pay”, while the average family’s power bill has ballooned to almost £4,300 each year.
What Campaigners Are Saying
Jonathan Noronha‑Gant, a senior fossil‑fuels activist from Global Witness, calls the CEO’s earnings a “kick in the teeth”. “People who are just trying to heat their homes or feed their kids should honestly be furious that a chief executive is getting millions. It’s a stark reminder of the inequality at the heart of our broken energy system,” he says.
Windfall Tax, Anyone?
Noronha‑Gant urges governments to enforce a “proper windfall tax” on both profits and top executive pay. After all, when the wealthy keep on getting richer and the rest of us are paying more for every watt, a little extra tax might just level the playing field.
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