US Oil and Gas Executive Cashes Out Nearly $400 Million as Iran War Boosts Energy Stocks

BlockBeats News, July 29th, according to The New York Times report, since the outbreak of the Iran war caused energy supply tensions and drove up oil and gas prices, top executives of several large U.S. oil and gas companies have made hundreds of millions of dollars in profits by selling company stock.

The environmental organization "Friends of the Earth" analyzed filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and found that since the start of the war, insiders at U.S. fossil fuel companies have collectively sold nearly $400 million in stock. Among them, ConocoPhillips executives had the highest selling amount, reaching about $96 million; followed by executives from natural gas exporters Cheniere Energy and Venture Global.

The report stated that the recent stock sales by executives of the three companies have all exceeded the full-year 2025 level. ConocoPhillips CEO Ryan Lance sold stock in two transactions in March this year, totaling nearly $80 million; Cheniere Energy executives also sold shares around the company's stock price reaching a new high.

Analysts pointed out that the rise in oil and gas company stock prices is directly related to the surge in energy prices, and executives cashing out at high stock prices aligns with market incentive logic. However, critics argue that part of the corporate profit growth comes from the rise in energy costs due to geopolitical conflicts, and the related benefits are ultimately borne by consumers, thus calling for an "excess profits tax" on energy companies.

Currently, proposals to levy windfall taxes on the energy industry in the U.S. have not received Republican support.