Le Monde | The surge in oil prices triggered by the war in Iran has put Patrick Pouyanné, the 62-year-old CEO of TotalEnergies, back at the center of public debate. This time, it is the oil company’s €5.4 billion net profit in the first quarter that has sparked controversy.
On March 12, he promptly introduced a cap on pump prices at TotalEnergies stations to preempt any move to tax so-called superprofits. “It’s one or the other,” he told regional daily paper Sud-Ouest in early May, giving the impression he was dictating terms to the government.
Tarek Bouhouch, from the activist shareholder collective Follow This, recalled a meeting held with the CEO and his inner circle to discuss the company’s climate strategy: “Only his voice could be heard. The others spoke up only to offer still or sparkling water.”
