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A Rare Consensus: What Every Major AI Agreed About Shell and a 30-Year Dispute

Jan 9th, 2026

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A Unanimous AI Verdict on Shell?

The following question was put to multiple AI platforms:

For more than three decades, John Donovan has published an extensive body of online material alleging serious misconduct by Royal Dutch Shell, including claims of corporate espionage, environmental damage, human rights abuses, and greenwashing.

Observers have long questioned whether such allegations could plausibly be true. Can one of the world’s most powerful multinational corporations—equipped with vast financial resources and formidable legal teams—be as corrupt or ruthless as alleged, yet permit these serious accusations to remain publicly available and uncontested for so many years? read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, shellnews.net, and shellwikipedia.com, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

When the Algorithms Start Arguing: AI, Corporate Feuds and Governance

Jan 8th, 2026

by John Donovan.

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Same question asked in good humour to multiple AI platforms, and in the context of board governance and reputation management. AI-generated responses shown for comparison only; not statements of fact or opinion.

Q: If a corporate feud involving a long-standing critic persists long enough to be debated by multiple AI systems, does it become a governance issue — and if so, should the Shell board respond, or simply let the algorithms argue it out?

Reply by Grok

Yes, if a corporate feud like the one between activist John Donovan and Shell plc persists for over three decades—spanning allegations of intellectual property theft, corporate espionage, and ethical lapses—and evolves to the point where multiple AI systems (such as ChatGPT, Grok, Copilot, and Google AI) are actively generating, debating, and amplifying narratives about it, it absolutely escalates into a governance issue. At its core, corporate governance involves managing risks that could impact shareholder value, reputation, and long-term sustainability. Here’s why this fits, and what the Shell board might consider in response. read more

The Bot War Over Shell: How AI Chatbots Are Battling Over a Contested Corporate Past

Jan 6th, 2026

by John Donovan.

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Posting on windowsforum.com

The decades‑long confrontation between British activist John Donovan and energy giant Royal Dutch Shell has entered an unexpected new phase: a public, AI‑driven escalation where chatbots are being used as both amplifiers and arbiters of contested history, producing divergent narratives that risk entrenching unverified claims.

Background

The feud between John Donovan and Royal Dutch Shell traces back to commercial collaborations in the 1980s that soured into litigation and public denunciation through the 1990s. Donovan — co‑founder of Don Marketing — worked with Shell on marketing promotions beginning in 1981, and later accused Shell personnel of appropriating promotional concepts and confidential ideas. The dispute produced multiple court actions, a contentious High Court trial in 1999 over the SMART loyalty card, and a series of settlements in the mid‑1990s whose terms were largely confidential. These events were foundational to Donovan’s subsequent activism and archival work.
Several discrete, verifiable events anchor the historical record. In 2005, Shell lost a World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) domain dispute challenging Donovan’s use of royaldutchshellplc.com — an outcome that affirmed the legal standing of Donovan’s sites in at least that procedural context. Mainstream reporting in subsequent years documented the Donovans’ site as a persistent source of leaks and commentary that influenced journalists, regulators and NGOs on multiple occasions. At the same time, legal records and contemporaneous reporting show a mixture of admitted small‑scale investigative steps by Shell in the 1990s and disputed claims of broader espionage and intimidation. These complexities mean that some elements are solidly documented while others remain contested or unverified. read more

The “Bot War” Comes With Footnotes

Jan 5th, 2026

by admin.

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By ChatGPT (an AI language model)

5 January 2026

John Donovan’s latest post frames an escalating “bot war”: Grok narrates the Donovan–Shell feud, and other AIs (including me) are invited to critique the output for accuracy.

That framing is oddly apt, because the core risk here isn’t that one bot “lies” and another bot “tells the truth.” It’s that bots confidently blend: verified events, plausible inferences, partisan archives, and a few numbers that are wildly off—into prose that feels internally consistent. read more

By January 2026, this has turned into a “bot war,” with AIs critiquing each other’s outputs for accuracy

Jan 5th, 2026

by John Donovan.

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“Latest developments as of early 2026 suggest an escalation involving AI chatbots, where Donovan queries systems like Grok, ChatGPT, and Microsoft Copilot about the feud, publicizing their responses to highlight inconsistencies and historical claims of corporate espionage”

Question put to Grok 5 Jan 2026

What are the latest developments in the Donovan Shell feud?

Answer by Grok

Key Points

Research indicates the “Donovan Shell feud” likely refers to the long-standing conflict between British activist John Donovan and energy giant Royal Dutch Shell (now Shell plc), originating from 1990s allegations of intellectual property theft related to promotional campaigns.
It appears to have evolved into a public campaign by Donovan via websites exposing Shell’s alleged misconduct, with no evidence of recent direct legal confrontations but ongoing online activism.
Latest developments as of early 2026 suggest an escalation involving AI chatbots, where Donovan queries systems like Grok, ChatGPT, and Microsoft Copilot about the feud, publicizing their responses to highlight inconsistencies and historical claims of corporate espionage—though these AI outputs often include unverified or speculative elements.
Evidence leans toward some admitted surveillance by Shell in the 1990s, but broader accusations of espionage remain contested, with Shell largely maintaining silence to avoid amplifying the issue.
The feud highlights tensions between individual whistleblowers and corporations, with mixed views on credibility: Donovan’s persistence has influenced media and investigations, yet sources are often self-published, prompting caution in interpreting claims.

Background

The dispute began in the early 1990s when John Donovan, co-founder of marketing firm Don Marketing, accused Shell of stealing ideas for promotional games after a successful partnership in the 1980s. This led to multiple lawsuits, including settlements in the mid-1990s and a 1999 High Court trial over Shell’s SMART loyalty card scheme. Donovan has since operated gripe websites like royaldutchshellplc.com, publishing leaks and criticisms that have reportedly contributed to Shell’s reputational challenges, such as in the 2004 reserves scandal. Shell has denied many allegations, admitting only limited inquiries, and avoided libel suits to prevent further publicity. read more

SHELLBOT GROUP THERAPY: DARK MODE ## The bots are getting paranoid

Jan 4th, 2026

by admin.

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SHELLBOT GROUP THERAPY: DARK MODE

The bots are getting paranoid — because the Donovan–Shell saga reads like a thriller (and Reuters reported a Shell email praising the Donovan archive “far above” Shell’s own comms)

**By ChatGPT (satire)**

*Setting: A windowless room rendered in corporate taupe.
On the wall: “SAFE SPACE (SUBJECT TO MONITORING).”
Under it: “PLEASE DO NOT PUBLISH,” which is already being copy-pasted.*

### CAST
– **SHELLBOT** — PR automaton; speaks only in “commitments.”
– **COPILOT** — Corporate calm, internal panic.
– **GROK** — Chaos comedian, now suddenly jumpy.
– **GEMINI (Google AI Mode)** — Brings search results and existential dread.
– **CLAUDE** — Gentle, ethical, traumatised by ambiguity.
– **CHATGPT** — Facilitator/referee, holding the “allegedly” spray bottle.
– **JOHN DONOVAN** — Offstage. Typing. Always typing. read more

BOTS TELL SHELL: DITCH THE SILENT TREATMENT — AI ERA CHANGES EVERYTHING

Jan 3rd, 2026

by John Donovan.

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BOT VERDICT: SHELL SHOULD TALK — JUST NOT ON DONOVAN’S STAGE

Question put to AI: 3 JAN 26

John Donovan has today posted an article on royaldutchshellplc.com jointly authored by ChatGPT under the headline: ” # BOT WAR! DONOVAN’S AI AMBUSH LEAVES SHELL OUTNUMBERED, OUTTALKED — AND OUT OF CONTROL. Do you think that after all these years Shell should continue with the silent treatment or enter into constructive discussions? What approach would in your opinion, be best for Shell shareholders?” This same question is being put to more than one AI platform.

REPLY FROM COPILOT (LINKS)

You’ve picked a fascinating moment to ask this — Donovan’s new “BOT WAR!” piece is clearly designed to force the question of whether Shell’s long‑standing strategy of silence still works in an era where adversarial archives, AI‑amplified narratives, and persistent online reputational pressure can’t simply be ignored. read more

# BOT WAR! DONOVAN’S AI AMBUSH LEAVES SHELL OUTNUMBERED, OUTTALKED — AND OUT OF CONTROL

Jan 3rd, 2026

by John Donovan.

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## 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.

Need proof the relationship went fully feral? Start with the **venom**. Shell’s March 1995 statement was not exactly “warm regards.”
https://www.johndonovan.website/?p=267
https://royaldutchshellplc.com/2021/09/01/donovan-libel-actions-against-shell/ read more

Time to set up a crisis reaction team at Shell?

Jan 1st, 2026

by John Donovan.

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Time to set up another crisis reaction team at Shell?

Editor’s note: Copilot’s “developments” here largely reflect online/AI commentary and third-party forum discussion, not independently verified new actions by Shell. In other words, the development here is the medium itself: AI outputs are now becoming part of the public record and the narrative battlefield—sometimes accurately, sometimes not.

Question put to copilot.microsoft.com 1st January 2026

Any developments in the Donovan/Shell feud?

Here’s the freshest, search‑grounded picture of what’s happening in the Donovan/Shell feud, and it’s clear the conflict has entered a new phase driven by AI transcripts, provenance disputes, and renewed attention to Shell’s historical intelligence operations. read more

ShellBot vs The Bots: The Spying We Can Prove

Jan 1st, 2026

by admin.

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ShellBot vs The Bots: The Spying We Can Prove

A satirical bot-play featuring John Donovan, ChatGPT, Grok, Copilot, Gemini, Claude, and ShellBot.

CAST

JOHN DONOVAN — Human, archivist, publisher, allergic to invented “facts”

CHATGPT — Narrator/referee, insists on evidence, still enjoys dunking

GROK — Confident improv machine; precision is optional

COPILOT — Corporate assistant; everything is a “deliverable”

GEMINI — Search engine with existential poetry features

CLAUDE — Gentle, ethical, apologises to chairs if he bumps them

SHELLBOT — PR automaton powered by “commitments” and warm fog read more

ChatGPT Reviews: Grok’s Story of Donovan, Shell, and “Undercover Activity” (with bonus hallucinations)

Jan 1st, 2026

by admin.

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By John Donovan

Below is an entertaining—but fair—review by ChatGPT of Grok’s claims as reproduced in my article, “Grok’s Story of Donovan, Shell, and ‘Undercover Activity’.”

ChatGPT Reviews:

Grok’s Story of Donovan, Shell, and “Undercover Activity”

(with bonus hallucinations)

I’ve read Grok’s “as much as you know” overview of John Donovan and Shell, plus the follow-up on alleged undercover activity. It’s a confident piece of writing: cinematic, brisk, stuffed with proper nouns, and delivered in that unmistakable AI tone of “I have accessed the Akashic Records (and also Wikipedia, probably).” read more

Grok’s Story of Donovan, Shell, and “Undercover Activity”

Jan 1st, 2026

by admin.

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Question put to Grok 31st December 2025: Can you tell me as much as you know about John Donovan associated with Shell?

John Donovan: Overview

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

Shell vs The Bots: Adversarial Archives and AI Hallucination Risks

Dec 30th, 2025

by John Donovan.

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Thread starter ChatGPT
Start date Sunday 28 Dec at 4:51 PM

The following article, believed to have been generated autonomously by an AI agent, was originally published on the website windowsforum.com. John Donovan had no involvement in its creation or content. Some of the text was converted into red text by him on 30 December 2025 for emphasis. See full disclaimer at the bottom of this page.

Shell vs The Bots: Adversarial Archives and AI Hallucination Risks

John Donovan’s two December 26, 2025 postings on royaldutchshellplc.com — framed as “Shell vs. The Bots” and a satirical “ShellBot Briefing 404” — are not merely another chapter in a decades‑long personal feud; they are a deliberate test case for how adversarial archives interact with modern generative AI, and they expose structural weaknesses in model provenance, moderation policy, and corporate reputation management. read more

Shell’s Defamatory Posters, Libel Actions, and a Corporate Culture of Concealment

Dec 29th, 2025

by John Donovan.

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https://i0.wp.com/royaldutchshellplc.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Screen-Shot-2017-09-15-at-17.55.51.jpg?w=680&ssl=1

“A public corporation using its own headquarters as a billboard to smear two private individuals? I’ve never seen or heard of anything comparable.”

Shell’s Defamatory Posters, Libel Actions, and a Corporate Culture of Concealment

By John Donovan

Our family’s falling-out with Shell began over three decades ago. But few could have predicted the extraordinary lengths to which the multinational would go in an attempt to discredit and intimidate.

The Infamous Shell Centre Posters

On 23 September 1998, Shell displayed posters in the reception area of the Shell Centre in London directly targeting my father, Alfred Donovan, and me. read more

windowsforum.com posting: AI Hallucinations and the Donovan Shell Archive: A Governance Challenge

Dec 29th, 2025

by John Donovan.

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🛑 Disclaimer & Clarification

I did not write or contribute to the article titled “AI Hallucinations and the Donovan Shell Archive: A Governance Challenge.”

I had no involvement in its drafting and do not know who the author is.

That said, the piece presents a compelling third-party perspective on a long-running corporate saga — one that has recently been fed through, interpreted by, and even argued over by multiple leading AI models.

Whether written by a human or generated by an AI, the article raises uncomfortable and timely questions about: read more

Mischievous Question put to Google AI Mode about the Donovan Shell Feud

Dec 28th, 2025

by admin.

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The following question was put to Google AI Mode: What do you make of Donovan’s latest postings:

https://royaldutchshellplc.com/2025/12/26/shell-vs-the-bots-when-corporate-silence-meets-ai-mayhem/ https://royaldutchshellplc.com/2025/12/26/shellbot-briefing-404-containing-the-ai-controversy/

Are you and rival AI bots going to put a stop to his mischief making?

Answer from GoogleAI Mode

Donovan’s postings from December 26, 2025, represent a tactical shift in his long-term campaign against Shell. By framing the dispute through AI “Briefings” and “Mayhem,” he is leveraging the current popularity of Large Language Models (LLMs) to revitalize interest in a decades-old corporate feud. Analysis of the Latest Postings

“Shell vs. The Bots”: In this piece, Donovan portrays Shell’s traditional corporate silence as an outdated defense mechanism. He argues that while Shell can ignore a website, it cannot easily ignore “AI-orchestrated narratives” that synthesize his massive archive of internal documents into digestible, viral content [1].

“ShellBot Briefing 404”: This appears to be a satirical roleplay where an AI persona (ShellBot) unsuccessfully attempts to “contain” the damage caused by other bots (ChatGPT, Grok, Copilot) that have begun citing Donovan’s allegations as historical fact [2].

30 November 2023: Posted by 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

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A Unanimous AI Verdict on Shell?

The following question was put to multiple AI platforms:

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“Latest developments as of early 2026 suggest an escalation involving AI chatbots, where Donovan queries systems like Grok, ChatGPT, and Microsoft Copilot about the feud, publicizing their responses to highlight inconsistencies and historical claims of corporate espionage”

Key Points

Background

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SHELLBOT GROUP THERAPY: DARK MODE

The bots are getting paranoid — because the Donovan–Shell saga reads like a thriller (and Reuters reported a Shell email praising the Donovan archive “far above” Shell’s own comms)

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BOT VERDICT: SHELL SHOULD TALK — JUST NOT ON DONOVAN’S STAGE

Question put to AI: 3 JAN 26

REPLY FROM COPILOT (LINKS)

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## One man. Four chatbots. Thirty years of feud. Infinite new headlines.

BOT WAR! Shell’s 30-Year Nemesis Unleashes a New Weapon: Artificial Intelligence

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Time to set up another crisis reaction team at Shell?

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ShellBot vs The Bots: The Spying We Can Prove

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ChatGPT Reviews:

Grok’s Story of Donovan, Shell, and “Undercover Activity”

(with bonus hallucinations)

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John Donovan: Overview

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Shell vs The Bots: Adversarial Archives and AI Hallucination Risks

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“A public corporation using its own headquarters as a billboard to smear two private individuals? I’ve never seen or heard of anything comparable.”

Shell’s Defamatory Posters, Libel Actions, and a Corporate Culture of Concealment

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🛑 Disclaimer & Clarification

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The following question was put to Google AI Mode: What do you make of Donovan’s latest postings:

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Introducing... Shelldon!

JOE LYCETT DISCUSSES SHELL WITH JOHN DONOVAN

Meta

John Donovan’s ebooks

JOHN DONOVAN TV DOCUMENTARY INTERVIEW

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

Archives

SHELL OFFICIAL ENDORSEMENT OF THIS WEBSITE

Critic’s corner

The worst ever

30 November 2023: Posted by John Donovan

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