Former Shell boss Ben van Beurden's pay package jumps to £9.7m

Former Shell boss Ben van Beurden received a pay package of £9.7m last year, up more than 50% from 2021.

Shell reported the highest annual profits in its 115-year history last year after a surge in energy prices following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Massive profits made by energy firms have added to pressure to tax them more as households struggle with rising energy bills.

Shell made a record $39.9bn (£32.2bn) profit in 2022, double the previous year's total.

When its results came out in February, opposition parties said the company's profits were "outrageous" and that the government was letting energy firms "off the hook" on taxation.

In 2021, Mr van Beurden was paid the equivalent of £6.3m - he was paid in euros because Shell had yet to move its headquarters from the Netherlands to Britain.

He was replaced on 1 January this year by Wael Sawan, the former head of Shell's gas and renewables business.

The annual report said Mr Sawan was appointed on a salary of £1.4m, although performance-related payments can often add to the overall pay package considerably. Mr van Beurden's salary was £1.4m in 2022.