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Bernard Looney: BP boss who fuelled own downfall

The former chief executive’s abrupt departure comes as the oil colossus struggles to weigh fossil fuels against green energy

Bernard Looney’s exit from the oil giant has been celebrated in some quarters. Illustration: Peter Hanan

Few in the City of London or business media who have been watching Bernard Looney’s stewardship of BP for the last four years would have expected to see the Kerryman’s name in a viral MailOnline story.

Especially not under the headline that was published last Thursday afternoon:

The ‘unlikely oil man’ who grew up on a dairy farm and dumped his wife via WhatsApp: How perma-tanned fitness fanatic Bernard Looney climbed the ranks to become ...