The attack was financed by an oil heiress

 

The conspiracy theory about oil interests behind climate activists 

 

Of: 

 

Fanny Westling 

 

Published: Less than 3 hours ago 

 

NEWS 

 

The climate activist group "Just stop oil" has thrown tomato soup on van Gogh paintings and sprayed the Harrods shopping center with orange paint. 

 

Now it is revealed that they are financed by the oil heiress Aileen Getty. 

 

Conspiracy theories spread on social media about whether she wants to save the earth - or wants to ridicule climate activism. 

 

The sound of Heinz tomato soup swishing against Van Gogh's masterpiece "Sunflowers" broke the silence at the National Gallery in London just over two weeks ago. 

 

- What is more valuable, art or life? asked one of the activists. 

 

While the soup slowly ran down the glass in front of the painting worth 920 million kroner, painted 125 years ago, two climate activists glued themselves to the wall. They came from the relatively new climate activist group "Just stop oil", which has received criticism for their aggressive protest methods, which include vandalism. 

 

The group is financed, among other things, by Aileen Getty – heiress of J Paul Getty, an American oil tycoon who founded the oil company Getty oil. 

 

Now conspiracy theories are spreading on social media about her interests, why she finances the activists, which The Guardian has reported on, among other things. 

 

The question people are asking is: Could it be that she is funding them to make them look stupid? 

 

 

The climate activists present Van Gogh's masterpiece "Sunflowers". Photo: Just Stop Oil / AP 

 

Same network as "Restore Wetlands" 

 

J Paul Getty is one of the richest people in the world. His family is believed to have a fortune of 3.9 billion pounds - which is equivalent to about 50 billion kroner. 

 

A little more than two years ago, Aileen Getty co-founded the Climate Emergency Fund, something she says takes up most of her energy and money, according to The times.

 

She was not alone. A coalition of multi-billionaires in Hollywood follows the climate activists from a distance and donates large sums to keep them going. The founders also include the philanthropist Trevor Neilson, an investor who has worked with the world's richest families, and Rory Kennedy, daughter of Robert Kennedy. Neilson has said that he has been inspired by Greta Thunberg and Extinction Rebellion. 

 

In total, they have distributed more than £3.5 million to climate organisations. A large part of the fund's money goes to the "A22" network, a global coalition of climate organizations that create "public disturbances". 

 

Also included in the network is Restore Wetlands, according to a press release. Auction against the luxury car brand Aston Martin. 

 

Auction against the luxury car brand Aston Martin. 

Responds to criticism 

 

About two weeks after the climate protest at the National Gallery, Aileen Getty responded to the conspiracy theorists' criticism in a debate article in The Guardian.

 

She writes that people often come up with theories about why she gets involved in climate issues, but for her it is crystal clear that she wants to build a better future. 

 

"I am the daughter of a family that has built its fortune on fossil fuels, but we now know fossil fuels are killing our planet. Our family sold that company decades ago, and I have decided to use my resources to protect life on our planet.”