Fact check: Just Stop Oil protesters were funded by oil companies and heiress.

1. Summary of the results

The statement oversimplifies a complex funding structure. Just Stop Oil's funding comes from multiple sources, with a detailed breakdown showing:

• 51% from public donations
• 21% from donations over £20,000
• 16% from green energy industrialist Dale Vince
• 10% from Hollywood filmmaker Adam McKay
• 2% from the Climate Emergency Fund (CEF) ^{[1] [1]}

While Aileen Getty, an oil heiress, is indeed connected to Just Stop Oil's funding through the Climate Emergency Fund, her contribution represents only a small portion of the organization's overall funding ^[1].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

Several crucial pieces of context are missing from the original statement:

• Aileen Getty, while from an oil family, never personally worked in the oil industry and has focused on philanthropic climate-related ventures ^{[2] [3]}
• The Getty family's connection to oil ended when Getty Oil sold its reserves to Texaco in 1984 ^[3]
• Dale Vince, a significant contributor (£340,000), withdrew his support in October 2023 ^{[4] [4]}
• Getty's specific contribution through CEF was $1 million of her personal wealth ^[3]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original statement contains several misleading elements:

• It suggests current oil company involvement, when in reality, there is no direct funding from active oil companies ^[1]
• It implies that oil money is a primary funding source, when public donations actually make up the majority at 51% ^[1]
• The use of "oil heiress" in reference to Aileen Getty creates a misleading connection to the fossil fuel industry, despite her personal dedication to environmental causes ^[2]

Those who benefit from this narrative include:

• Fossil fuel industry supporters who might use this to discredit environmental activism
• Critics of climate activism who can use the "oil money" connection to question the movement's authenticity
• Media outlets that benefit from the controversial headline of "oil money funding climate protests"