Tuesday, Aug. 10, 2010
John Browne, BP
Unlike the costly environmental crisis that brought down Tony Hayward, the latest BP CEO, the scandal that forced his predecessor John Browne's resignation was one of his own making. In May 2007, Browne stepped down after it was found he had lied to a court about his four-year relationship with Canadian boyfriend Jeff Chevalier. Browne sought to stop the publication of personal details about their relationship, but while in court, he lied under oath about how the two had met. Browne told the court they had met while jogging in a London park, when in fact they had made contact through a male-escort agency's website. Facing perjury accusations, the CEO made his exit — forfeiting a multimillion-dollar severance package in the process.