The Motherf*ckin’
Winners

In 1982, scientists at Exxon accurately predicted that by the year 2019, the Earth would hit a carbon dioxide concentration of 415 parts per million and a temperature increase of 1 degree Celsius. The company circulated an internal report which said that the consequences of climate change could be dramatic, and that a significant reduction in fossil fuel consumption would be necessary to avoid catastrophe.

Exxon doubled down on fossil fuels, investing heavily in fracking, off-shore drilling, and pushing climate change denial, despite what they already knew. For over a decade Exxon purchased ads in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal that created doubt and confusion around an issue they’d understood since 1982.

Larry Fink, the chief executive at BlackRock, manages more than $6 trillion in investments, and he claims that he is using this enormous wealth to press companies to “serve a social purpose.” However, BlackRock has over $200 million dollars invested in JBS, the meat company driving much of the Amazon rainforest destruction.

The American Legislative Exchange Council, more commonly known as ALEC is a tax exempt non-profit that drafts legislation for big business, including the chemical industry. This year ALEC crafted bills to stop communities from banning single-use plastic! They’ve actually made it illegal to ban plastic bags! These laws currently affect 88 million Americans in 14 states.

The NRA is one of the most powerful lobbying organizations in the United States, fighting gun control at every level of government. They write legislation, buy politicians, and are the main reason it’s still easy to buy assault weapons and high capacity magazines without so much as a pop quiz, let alone a thorough background check.

In 2016 the NRA contributed over $55 million dollars to Donald Trump and other gun friendly legislators.

GEO Group is one of the largest private prison companies in the country, controlling a major share of ICE detention facilities. Their investors profit from the arrest and detention of undocumented people across the United States. GeoGroup has come under harsh criticism for conditions relating to food safety, solitary confinement, and lack of outdoor recreation time.

Senate Majority Leader, Mitch McConnell, is the longest-serving Republican U.S. Senate leader in history. He championed Citizens United, a bill that allows corporations to spend unlimited amounts of money on elections. McConnell encouraged state governors to ignore the Obama administration's Clean Power Plan, which was aimed at tackling climate change and encouraged President Trump to withdraw from the Paris Agreement and approve the Keystone XL pipeline.

McConnell has received at least $1.5 million from the oil and gas industry since 2012.