Oil CEO Who Spars on Social Media Is Shale’s Staunchest Defender

Kaes Van’t Hof, the top boss of US shale producer Diamondback Energy Inc., isn’t one to mince words on social media.

When Joe Rogan accused energy companies of war-driven profiteering last month, Van’t Hof urged the podcaster to give oil workers “a chance to explain” the reason for high gasoline prices. He’d previously warned Senator Bernie Sanders to “stop lying to the American people” about price gouging at the pump. And he told President Donald Trump’s administration last year it “better have a plan” to shield the industry from tariff-related upheaval.

That candor has made Van’t Hof, ...