## One man. Four chatbots. Thirty years of feud. Infinite new headlines.
BOT WAR! Shell’s 30-Year Nemesis Unleashes a New Weapon: Artificial Intelligence
**By John Donovan & ChatGPT**
Shell and John Donovan have been at it for **over three decades** — lawsuits, libel actions, bitter PR, and enough paperwork to stun a filing cabinet. Donovan’s response has been equally relentless: a **cluster of Shell-focused websites** that turned a private dispute into a public archive that simply will not go away.
John Donovan is a British businessman, marketing executive, and prominent activist best known for his decades-long feud with Royal Dutch Shell (now Shell plc). Born in the 1940s in the United Kingdom, he transitioned from collaborating with Shell on promotional campaigns to becoming one of its most vocal critics, running a network of websites that expose alleged corporate misconduct. His story is often framed as a “David vs. Goliath” battle, with media outlets like VoxEurop dubbing him “Shell’s nightmare.” Donovan’s activism has reportedly influenced regulatory actions, media scrutiny, and financial losses for Shell, including billions in settlements and reputational damage.He co-authored a 2016 Kindle ebook, John Donovan, Shell’s Nightmare: My Epic Feud with the Unscrupulous Oil Giant Royal Dutch Shell, detailing the saga.read more
For most people, Shell is a petrol station on the corner, a logo on a lorry, or the company whose name appears on their household fuel bill. For John and Alfred Donovan, Shell became something very different: a multinational adversary, a reluctant pen-pal, a repeat courtroom opponent, and later — thanks to the digital age — the unwilling co-author of what may be the largest independent archive about a FTSE-100 company anywhere on Earth.read more
In recent days, I observed that the parody images I requested from ChatGPT for use in my articles about Shell no longer appeared to resemble Shell’s logo as closely as they had before. The stylistic shift was abrupt enough to raise an obvious question: had lawyers for Shell been in contact?
So I simply asked ChatGPT.
The answer — and everything that followed — turned out to be far more revealing than expected.
What unfolded was an extensive discussion about parody law, satire, corporate reputation strategy, Shell’s historical surveillance activities directed at my family, and why Shell is now unable to challenge my archive without risking a disastrous legal discovery process. read more
John Donovan’s revealing entire chat with Microsoft Copilot about Shell Ethics on 29 Oct 2025. Nothing has been deleted. John Donovan’s questions and instructions are in red text.
Using deep research tell me all you can about the Shell critic John Donovan
John Donovan is a long-standing and relentless critic of Royal Dutch Shell, known for exposing internal misconduct and legal battles with the oil giant. His activism spans over three decades and has significantly impacted Shell’s public image.
Here’s a comprehensive look at his background, motivations, and influence:
🧑💼 Who Is John Donovan?
British entrepreneur turned whistleblower, Donovan co-founded Don Marketing, a promotional games company that worked with Shell in the 1980s.
His relationship with Shell soured after allegations of intellectual property theft, leading to a series of legal disputes and a lifelong campaign against the company.
🔥 The Feud with Shell
Donovan claims Shell repeatedly stole promotional game ideas developed by his company, including the popular “Make Money” game.
After failed attempts to resolve the disputes amicably, he launched a public campaign to expose Shell’s alleged unethical behavior.
His feud escalated into a 30-year battle, described by some as a “David vs. Goliath” saga.
🌐 Online Campaigns and Websites
Donovan operates a network of websites dedicated to Shell criticism, including:
These platforms host over 25,000 articles, leaked documents, and insider reports from Shell employees (“moles”).
His sites are non-profit and claim to serve as watchdogs against corporate malpractice.
📚 Publications and Media Coverage
Donovan authored a Kindle book titled John Donovan, Shell’s Nightmare: My Epic Feud with the Unscrupulous Oil Giant Royal Dutch Shell, detailing his battles and Shell’s alleged misconduct.
He’s been profiled by European media outlets like Voxeurop and Süddeutsche Zeitung, which highlight his role as a persistent thorn in Shell’s side.
🕵️♂️ Methods and Impact
Donovan’s work is fueled by anonymous tips and leaked documents from Shell insiders.
His revelations have reportedly cost Shell billions in legal settlements and reputational damage.
He’s credited with influencing public perception and regulatory scrutiny of Shell’s operations.
🧭 Legacy and Influence
Donovan is considered one of the most effective one-man corporate watchdogs in modern history.
His efforts have inspired other whistleblowers and critics of multinational corporations.
Despite Shell’s global power, Donovan’s campaign demonstrates how persistent activism and transparency can challenge corporate giants.
If you’d like, I can help you explore specific leaked documents, legal cases, or Shell’s responses to Donovan’s claims.read more
If you want to know how a family-run promotions outfit ended up engraving its name into the footnotes of corporate history, scan the bibliographies. Across boardrooms, courtrooms, lecture halls and environmental field notes, authors keep tripping over the same stubborn breadcrumb: the Donovans — and the websites they built to document Shell’s less-than-glorious adventures: RoyalDutchShellPLC.com, ShellNews.net, Shell2004.com, TellShell.net, and more.
Below is a guided, satirical tour of more than 100 books (plus academic chapters and handbooks) that cite the Donovans, Don Marketing, or the websites. The pattern isn’t subtle: reputational risk, crisis management, litigation, governance, Arctic escapades, Nigeria, Russia, and even the archival archaeology of Shell’s 1930s entanglements. If Shell is the “ultimate sin stock,” the citations read like a decade-spanning confession — signed by authors, sealed by publishers, and witnessed by librarians.read more
Shell likes to describe itself as “an energy company of the future.” But history, inconveniently, refuses to stay buried. Long before Shell courted wind farms and “net-zero” slogans, it courted Adolf Hitler.
In the 1930s, as Europe spiralled toward war, Royal Dutch Shell — the genteel Anglo-Dutch oil giant whose modern logo is now synonymous with sustainability brochures — was actively supplying the economic bloodstream of Nazi Germany. Its founder and spiritual patriarch, Sir Henri Deterding, wasn’t merely an admirer of Hitler’s regime; he was a willing participant in its rise.read more
If evil needed a mascot, it would look suspiciously like a giant yellow shell. Forget SPECTRE and SMERSH—those were fiction. Shell’s record of villainy is all too real.
This is the story of an oil giant who funded Nazis, tested carcinogens on their own employees, and still have the gall to tell you they care about “net zero.”
From the Third Reich to Today: Same Script, Different Lies
Shell’s rap sheet starts early: during WWII, Shell effectively sacrificed its own Dutch employees to maintain ties with Nazi Germany, prioritising profits over human lives. Fast-forward a few decades and the playbook hasn’t changed—they’re still perfectly happy to gamble with lives, only now it’s under the glossy cover of corporate social responsibility.read more
Power and Powerlessness: The Life Story of the Founder of Royal Dutch/Shell, Sir Henri Deterding
Author: Jochen Thies
Please note: While preserving the integrity of the meaning, we have abbreviated longer extracts translated from the original German edition of the book.
Jochen Thies, a respected German historian, opens this biography by posing a provocative question: “How close was Deterding to Hitler? Did he help the Nazis rise to power?” Thies promises that his book provides an answer.read more
The following Information was generated from research carried out in March 2025 involving 27 sources.
Sir Henri Deterding (1866–1939) was a Dutch oil magnate and a co-founder of Royal Dutch/Shell. He served as general manager of Royal Dutch Petroleum from 1900 to 1936 and helped build the company into one of the world’s largest oil firms, rivaling Rockefeller’s Standard Oil. By the 1930s, Deterding’s role put him in frequent contact with Germany, where Shell had significant operations. He was a fierce anti-communist, largely because the Soviet Union had nationalized Royal Dutch/Shell’s oil properties in Azerbaijan after World War I. This bitterness toward the Bolsheviks made Deterding view Nazi Germany as a potential ally against communism. In fact, in his later years, he moved his residence and investments to Germany, purchasing a grand estate (Dobbin) in Mecklenburg in 1936. Deterding openly admired Hitler’s regime as “the most serious bulwark against invading Bolshevism,” a stance reinforced by his hatred of the Soviet regime that had expropriated Shell’s Russian oil fields.read more
Shell’s Historical Ties to Nazi Germany (1930s–1940s): In Shell’s case, the absence of an apology or restitution for its Nazi collaboration remains a point of contention that the company may eventually be forced to confront as part of repairing its public image.
RESEARCH CARRIED OUT IN MARCH 2025
Sources: Historical investigations, corporate archives, and recent analyses were used to compile these findings. Key references include Shell’s own commissioned History of Royal Dutch Shell (which details the company’s activities during 1933–45), journalism by researchers like Marriott, Macalister, and Donovan, and reports from outlets such as openDemocracy and The Guardian that discuss the ethical implications of Shell’s WWII involvement.
• Financial Support: Royal Dutch Shell’s leadership had deep ties with Nazi Germany. Sir Henri Deterding, a co-founder and long-time chairman of Shell, was an open admirer of Adolf Hitler and reportedly provided significant financial backing to the Nazi Party in the early 1930s. Shell’s funding was so substantial that it “saved the Nazi Party” from financial ruin before World War II.read more
English translation of an article published by the German newspaper WELT on 17 May 2024
(Die Welt (“The World”) is a German national daily newspaper, published as a broadsheet) Article by Von Sven Felix Kellerhoff
Leitender Redakteur Geschichte
How brown was the “Napoleon of the oil business” really?
Some considered Henri Deterding to be the “most powerful man in the world” in the 1920s. As a convinced anti-Bolshevik, he became involved with Hitler and paid with the permanent loss of his reputation. Historian Jochen Thies traces the life of the long-time Shell boss.read more
In a stunning historical revelation that could make even the most cynical among us raise an eyebrow, it turns out that Shell, the quintessential emblem of corporate greed and environmental apathy, once dabbled in a little side hustle: collaborating with Nazis. When you’re already in the business of ruthlessly exploiting resources, why not throw a bit of fascism into the mix?
As German forces strutted into Vienna on that fateful day in March 1938, Shell, ever the opportunist, saw the writing on the wall and decided to cosy up to the Nazi regime faster than you can say “blitzkrieg.” read more
We’re taking a trip down memory lane to the dark days of World War II. You know, back when Hitler was still rocking his signature mustache and the world was in a state of utter chaos. But guess who was lurking in the shadows. None other than our pals at Royal Dutch Shell.
Yep, turns out, while Hitler was busy turning Europe into his own personal playground, Shell was right there by his side, cheering him on like a proud parent at a Little League game. According to the annals of history, Shell’s big boss man, Sir Henri Deterding, was practically BFFs with ol’ Adolf himself. They even had cozy 4 day meeting at Berchtesgaden, where they presumably chatted about world domination over tea and biscuits.read more
Shell’s “Climate-Friendly” Strategy Under Fire: ClientEarth’s Claim to Proceed, Because Who Cares About the Planet?
In a stunning display of corporate accountability, ClientEarth has been granted an oral hearing to pursue its derivative action claim against Shell, the notorious polluting giant. It seems like the courts are willing to entertain the idea that Shell might actually be responsible for something other than destroying the environment.
To the dismay of those seeking justice, the High Court of England and Wales initially denied permission for the lawsuit. But fear not! An oral hearing has been generously bestowed upon us, where ClientEarth will have the audacity to ask the judge to reconsider his decision. How noble of them!read more
Shell’s Deceptive Claims: Downplaying the Consequences of the Deer Park Fire
The recent inferno at Shell’s petrochemical plant in Deer Park unleashed a thick, black cloud of smoke that engulfed the Houston area, leaving experts to question the true extent of the damage caused.
Astonishingly, despite mounting evidence, the oil giant continues to deny any danger to the neighbouring community, conveniently sidestepping their responsibility. But this time, residents, advocates, and experts refuse to be fooled by their reassurances.read more
Sir Henri Deterding, the controversial and outspoken founder of Royal Dutch Shell, now haunts the website. Wise to all the knowledge of Shell, and its shellanigans, he delivers informative and satirical insight to anything about Shell. He's a grumpy old sod, so you'll have to excuse his bluntness.
Click the big chat-bubble (bottom-right of the website)to ask Sir Henri a question. Enjoy!
SHELL EXECUTIVES AT THE CENTER OF A SCHEME TO STEAL $1.3 BILLION FROM NIGERIA’S PEOPLE
SHELL ADMITS DEALING WITH NIGERIAN MONEY LAUNDERER – BBC NEWS
SHELL, ENI AND NIGERIAN OFFICIALS IN OPL 245 CORRUPTION SCANDAL
INVESTIGATION OF OPL 245 NIGERIAN OIL CORRUPTION SCANDAL
DUTCH EARTHQUAKES CAUSED BY SHELL/EXXON
SHELL KILLS FOR OIL IN NIGERIA
SHELL LIED ABOUT CLEANING UP OIL IN NIGER DELTA
SHELL SPIES INFILTRATED NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT
LEGO DROPS SHELL OVER GREENPEACE OIL SPILL VIDEO
SHELL ARCTIC DRILLING ACCIDENTS
SHELL KNEW ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE DECADES AGO
ROYAL DUTCH SHELL FOUNDER SIR HENRI DETERDING, NAZI FINANCIER
JOHN DONOVAN PROMOTIONAL GAMES FOR SHELL AND OTHER CLIENTS
Listen and read proof in audio and transcript form of Shell CEO Ben van Beurden’s cover-up tactics in the OPL 245 Nigerian corruption scandal. The instruction given by him in the covertly recorded call to CFO Simon Henry was at odds with Shell’s claimed core business principles. Cover-up and obstruction, instead of transparency and integrity, says Shell critic John Donovan
The content below is sourced from current verifiable customer reviews of Shell Energy published on Trustpilot.
Extremely slow broadband for 10 months, not fixed.I have had slow broadband well below the guaranteed speed for 10 months and Shell Energy have not been able to fix it.They have tried sending about 4 or 5 engineers but have not fixed the problem.Gurps, who I have been dealing with most recently, has been friendly and polite, alth… Read more
Extremely Slow Shell Broadband
The worst ever
I used shell broadband. It was by far the worst broadband provider ever! The internet did not work most days. I had their super fast broadband and it dropped out constantly. Watching a movie was awful with the constant buffering. Customer support was super slow. Now their going to charge me for the useless router which I have sent back.
I ordered shell energy broadband on nov 2. I was promised connection the following week. They initiated the direct debit. I called the following week and was told router would arrive on 13 and service would go live on 17. No further email or communication until 20 when I was told service would start on 30th. Spent 10 minutes waiting on phone line and spoke to a polite assistant who was absolutely useless in solving my problem. Avoid this unprofessional and chaotic… Read more
Shell Energy Broadband Service is Appalling
The worst ever
I used shell broadband. It was by far the worst broadband provider ever! The internet did not work most days. I had their super fast broadband and it dropped out constantly. Watching a movie was awful with the constant buffering. Customer support was super slow. Now their going to charge me for the useless router which I have sent back.
Date of experience: 21 November 2023
By far the worst broadband provider ever!
OVER 500 EXTERNAL PUBLICATIONS CITING OUR SHELL WEBSITES
See our link list of over 500 articles by the FT, Wall Street Journal, Reuters, Bloomberg, Forbes, Dow Jones Newswires, New York Times, CNBC etc, plus UK House of Commons Select Committee Hansard records, information on U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission websiteetc. all containing references to our Shell focussed websites, or our website founders Alfred and John Donovan. Includes TV documentary features in English and German, newspaper and magazine articles, radio interviews, newsletters etc. Plus academic papers, Stratfor intelligence reports and UK, U.S. and Australian state/parliamentary publications, also citing our Shell websites. Click on this link to see the entire list, all in date order with a link to an index of over 100 books also containing references to our non-profit websites and/or our activities.
John Donovan, the website owner
DISCLAIMER
This is not a Shell website. The nature of this platform should be evident from the content presented here and on our related Shell-focused websites, including shellnazihistory.com. For more details, please refer to the Disclaimer link at the top of this page. Shell does not endorse or approve of this website.
Our platform operates as a non-commercial, advert-free, and subscription-free space. We do not solicit or accept donations and aim to provide information to our readers free of charge. The Shell logo image with white text used on this website is in the public domain due to expired copyright and anonymous authorship. It can be found on WIKIMEDIA COMMONS. Use this link for Shell’s own website.
Our content, including images and features like the Sheldon chatbot, incorporates information generated by Artificial Intelligence (AI) and various other technological means. We may also draw from sources such as Wikipedia and other published materials. Please note that some content may include satirical adaptations or elements of gossip, rumors, or exaggeration to engage and entertain our audience.
We strive to maintain factual accuracy and encourage readers to notify us promptly if any factual inaccuracies are found, so we can address and rectify them swiftly. Readers are advised to verify all information independently for accuracy and completeness. Any actions taken based on the content provided on our platform are at your own risk.
## One man. Four chatbots. Thirty years of feud. Infinite new headlines.
Question put to Grok 31st December 2025
In recent days, I observed that the parody images I requested from ChatGPT for use in my articles about Shell no longer appeared to resemble Shell’s logo as closely as they had before. The stylistic shift was abrupt enough to raise an obvious question: 
The following Information was generated from research carried out in March 2025 involving 27 sources.
Shell’s “Climate-Friendly” Strategy Under Fire: ClientEarth’s Claim to Proceed, Because Who Cares About the Planet?
Posted by John Donovan: 12 May 2023
