CrosswordNewsletters
DAILY BEAST
ALL
  • Cheat Sheet
  • Politics
  • Crime
  • Entertainment
  • Media
  • Innovation
  • Opinion
  • World
  • U.S. News
  • Scouted
  • Travel
CHEAT SHEET
    POLITICS
    • Fever Dreams
    • Biden World
    • Elections
    • Opinion
    • National Security
    • Congress
    • Pay Dirt
    • The New Abnormal
    • Right Richter
    • Trumpland
    MEDIA
    • Confider
    • Daytime Talk
    • Late-Night
    • Fox News
    U.S. NEWS
    • Identities
    • Crime
    • Race
    • LGBT
    • Extremism
    • Coronavirus
    WORLD
    • Russia
    • Europe
    • China
    • Middle East
    INNOVATION
    • Science
    TRAVEL
      ENTERTAINMENT
      • TV
      • Movies
      • Music
      • Comedy
      • Sports
      • Sex
      • TDBs Obsessed
      • Awards Shows
      • The Last Laugh
      FOOD & BEVERAGE
        CULTURE
        • Power Trip
        • Fashion
        • Books
        • Royalist
        TECH
        • Disinformation
        SCOUTED
        • Face Masks
        • Clothing
        • Technology
        • Bedroom
        • Kitchen
        • Home
        • Fitness
        • The Case For
        • I'm Looking For
        • New Kids On the Block
        COUPONS
        • Adidas Promo Codes
        • DoorDash Promo Codes
        • H&M Coupons
        • Hotwire Promo Codes
        • Wine.com Discounts
        • Vitacost Coupons
        • Spanx Promo Codes
        • StubHub Promo Codes
        Products
        NewslettersPodcastsCrosswordsSubscription
        FOLLOW US
        GOT A TIP?

        SEARCH

        HOMEPAGE

        The Most Hated Companies Ever–How Did BP Score?

        Think BP is universally loathed? The oil giant has nothing on United Fruit, Union Carbide, and other corporate rogues. The Daily Beast surveys top historians to determine the all-time worst.

        The Daily Beast

        Updated Jul. 14, 2017 2:55PM ET / Published Jun. 21, 2010 8:10PM ET 

        The last week in February 1990, Time magazine was covered with Mike Milken’s eyes. Crushed by the headline, “Predator’s Fall,” his smile was pushed out of the frame and the caption described him as a “deposed dealmaker.” He had officially become a poster boy for the excesses of his era—and his firm, Drexel Burnham, was not long for this earth.

        Of course, the despised company du jour is BP. As the leak still leaks, BP’s CEO continues to incite rage for shocking missteps (the latest: attendance at a yacht race), and the public becomes increasingly impatient with the cleanup efforts, it’s unclear if BP’s reputation will ever recover.

        VIEW OUR RANKINGS OF THE MOST REVILED COMPANIES OF ALL-TIME

        But compared to businesses marred by previous corporate scandals and disasters, how does the oil company stack up? The Daily Beast decided to try to see where BP fit—if at all—in the pantheon of companies reviled in their time. We pulled together a blue-chip panel of financial historians who nominated and ranked their choices. They were:

        • Full coverage of the oil spill • Marcelo Bucheli, assistant professor of business administration, College of Business at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign • Noel Maurer, associate professor of business administration, Harvard Business School • John Tang, adjunct professor of economics, University of Maryland • Robert Lenzner, national editor, Forbes magazine • Geoffrey Jones, Isidor Straus Professor of Business History and Director of Research, Harvard Business School • Morgen Witzel, freelance historian and financial writer; senior consultant for Winthrop Group of business historians • Stephen Shepard, founding dean, CUNY Graduate School of Journalism; former editor in chief of BusinessWeek • Thomas McCraw, Isidor Straus Professor of Business History Emeritus, Harvard Business School • Jerry Davis, professor of management, University of Michigan School of Business; Author, Managed by the Market: How Finance Re-Shaped America • Joe Martin, director of business history, Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto

        More than 60 companies received votes, but 13 broke away from the pack. How did BP fare? And who is the rogue among rogues? Click here.

        Clark Merrefield and Lauren Streib reported these rankings.

        READ THIS LIST

        DAILY BEAST
        • Cheat Sheet
        • Politics
        • Crime
        • Entertainment
        • Media
        • World
        • Innovation
        • U.S. News
        • Scouted
        • Travel
        • Subscription
        • Crossword
        • Newsletters
        • Podcasts
        • About
        • Contact
        • Tips
        • Jobs
        • Advertise
        • Help
        • Privacy
        • Code of Ethics & Standards
        • Diversity
        • Terms & Conditions
        • Copyright & Trademark
        • Sitemap
        • Coupons:
        • Coupons:
        • Vistaprint Coupons
        • Samsung Promo Coupons
        • Home Depot Coupons
        • Office Depot Coupons
        • eBay Coupons
        • Ashley Furniture Promo Codes
        © 2022 The Daily Beast Company LLC