Tony Hayward - Asshole of the Week Award

In 2010, Tony Hayward earned a total of £4.56 million, including the £1.04 million salary, a £2.09 million annual bonus, a £852,000 long-term incentive payment and £440,000 from cashing in 220,000 share options. It was then announced that Tony Hayward would receive  further considerable bonuses equating to $10,000 for each square mile which is polluted. He will also be able to draw an annual pension of around £600,000 just over a year after stepping down.

This award should come as no surprise... Tony Hayward former President and CEO of BP is a complete asshole! Just look at his response to the fact that BP used a risky well-casing plan, did not conduct a test of the well's cement job and did not use a "lockdown sleeve" device that "would have prevented the seal at the wellhead from being blown out," all of which could have prevented the Deepwater Horizon disaster that continues to despoil the gulf of Mexico:

Hayward did little to quell the public's anger with his responses:

"I can't answer because I wasn't there," "I don't know" and "I'm afraid I don't know that either." 

Are you the fucking CEO or not asshole? He gained the ire of lawmakers and infuriated several by declining to respond to a congressional committee's findings that BP took shortcuts to save time and money on a well that was behind schedule. He repeatedly said BP would not accept or assign blame for the April 20 well blowout until the investigations were complete.

"I'm just amazed at this testimony,"

House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry A. Waxman told the chief executive.

"You're not taking responsibility... You're kicking the can down the road and acting as if you had nothing to do with this company and nothing to do with the decisions. I find that irresponsible," Waxman said.

Greenpeace campaigner Charlie Kronick described the boating trip as "insulting and rubbing salt into the wounds" of those who had been affected by the spill.

As Hayward delivered a message of contrition before the congressional panel, top oil and gas companies were choosing a stance of defiance. In comments submitted to the White House Council on Environmental Quality, the American Petroleum Institute, the industry's chief lobbying arm, argued that the blowout was unforeseeable and, therefore, shouldn't lead to tighter regulations on deep-water rigs.

 In the hearing room, Rep. Joe L. Barton (R-Texas), a drilling advocate who receives major contributions from the oil and gas industry, set off a partisan row when he apologized to Hayward for what he called a White House "shakedown" that pressured BP to set up a $20-billion "slush fund" to pay economic damages, calling it "a tragedy of the first proportions."

The White House called Barton's apology to Tony Hayward "shameful," and Vice President Joe Biden said they were "incredibly insensitive and incredibly out of touch."

Tony Hayward is our first international Asshole of the Week Award recipient and I declare the 20^th April forever Tony Haywards Asshole Award day. Being that Hayward nearly won Asshole of the Year Award, it is a very special Asshole of the Week Award indeed. Hurrah!