Longtime Exxon CEO Lee Raymond’s legacy of climate denial and misinformation lives on – a psychologist offers ways to counter it

At the heart of combating misinformation is critical thinking and recognizing when you’re being spun for corporate profit.

By: Joe Árvai, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: June 22, 2026

Words: 1,369

Last Updated: 1 month ago

By Joe Árvai, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

When the Exxon Valdez spilled more than 11 million gallons of oil into Alaska’s Prince William Sound in 1989, Exxon President Lee Raymond oversaw the cleanup and a US$1 billion federal settlement for the extensive damage to the coastline and wildlife. Afterward, he helped lead a 14-year legal battle that ultimately got courts to cut a $5 billion punitive damages award for …

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