Shell risks fury as chief executive Ben van Beurden reaps £7.9m windfall

Shell’s chief executive Ben van Beurden took home a bumper pay package of €8.9 million (£7.9 million) in 2017, as the firm cashed in on recovering oil prices.

The oil giant risked fresh criticism over the payout, following a row with investors last year.

They said the Dutch chief executive’s long-term incentives were disproportionate compared with peers’.

Van Beurden received a €3 million annual bonus in 2017 on top of his €1.49 million salary. The chief executive also picked up €4.02 million in long-term bonuses and incentives, according to the group’s annual report.

Rival BP took an axe to executive pay last year to head off an uprising from shareholders.

The oil company capped the maximum bonus payout its chief executive Bob Dudley could receive at 2.25 times his base salary.

Shell’s profits more than trebled last year as oil prices recovered from a low of less than $30 a barrel in January 2016.