Lee Raymond, Exxon CEO Who Doubted Climate Change, Dies at 87

June 10, 2026, 10:45 PM UTC

Lee Raymond, the former head of Exxon Mobil Corp. who oversaw the biggest corporate merger in the history of the oil industry and was derided as “the Darth Vader of global warming” for his skepticism toward climate change, has died. He was 87.

“Lee was a remarkable leader who transformed not just ExxonMobil, but the global energy landscape,” an Exxon spokesperson said Wednesday in a statement. “His legacy will forever remain a pillar of this company.”

Lee Raymond in 2005.
Photographer: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

The son of a South Dakota railroad engineer, Raymond became one of corporate America’s most prominent leaders as chief executive officer of ...

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