Washington, D.C.—In response to news of the passing of T. Boone Pickens, one of America’s most well-known businessmen and tireless advocate for policies that enhanced U.S. energy security, Securing America’s Future Energy (SAFE) President and CEO Robbie Diamond made the following statement:

“T. Boone Pickens always saw the bigger picture in relation to American energy security. He shared SAFE’s vision to end OPEC’s dominance of the oil market. From the Pickens Plan to OPEC Oil Embargo +40 and his ranch retreats, he was a keen advocate of our efforts to develop and advocate for policies to achieve greater energy security for our country. He was a close friend to SAFE, and we were thrilled to celebrate his 85th birthday with him before the launch of our 2016 National Strategy for Energy Security. The SAFE family will miss greatly T. Boone Pickens.”

Dubbed the “Oracle of Oil” for his uncanny knack of predicting oil price movements, T. Boone Pickens worked with SAFE on a variety of projects which sought to enhance U.S. economic and national security. He was part of the OPEC Oil Embargo +40: A National Summit on Energy Security, an event that brought together four-star military leaders, former Cabinet members, leading CEOs and technology innovators to assess U.S. energy security and propose lasting solutions for ending oil dependence.

“From his self-made success to his capacity for career reinvention, his was a uniquely American success story. It is the drive and vision of people like Boone that make America great, and he was always willing to back his beliefs: He put millions of dollars into his Pickens Plan, purely because he thought it was important for America. He never was one to sit on the sidelines,” Diamond added.

T. Boone Pickens was one of the nation’s most successful businessmen, first building one of the nation’s largest independent oil companies, Mesa Petroleum, and later reinventing himself in his 70s as one of the most successful investment fund operators with BP Capital.

In July 2008, Boone launched the Pickens Plan, a grass-roots campaign aimed at reducing this country’s crippling addiction to OPEC oil. Recognizing U.S. dependence on OPEC oil as our greatest national security threat the plan highlighted how this dependence encompassed three critical American policy issues: the economy, the environment and U.S. national security. The plan called for greater fuel diversity, a North American energy alliance and enhanced measures to counter the unfree nature of the global oil market.

His many professional honors include membership in the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, the Texas Business Hall of Fame, and the Oklahoma Hall of Fame. In 1998, the Oil & Gas Investor listed him as one of the “100 Most Influential People of the Petroleum Century.” During the span of his career, Pickens gave away more than $1 billion to philanthropic causes.

About Securing America’s Future Energy

Securing America’s Future Energy (SAFE) is an action-oriented, nonpartisan organization that aims to reduce America’s dependence on oil. Near-total dependence on petroleum in the transportation sector undermines the nation’s economic and national security, and constrains U.S. foreign policy. To combat these threats, SAFE advocates for expanded domestic production of U.S. oil and gas resources, continued improvements in vehicle fuel efficiency, and transportation sector innovations including electric vehicles, natural gas trucks, and autonomous vehicles. In 2006, SAFE joined with General P.X. Kelley (Ret.), 28th Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps, and Frederick W. Smith, Chairman, President, and CEO of FedEx Corporation, to form the Energy Security Leadership Council (ESLC), a group of business and former military leaders committed to reducing the United States’ dependence on oil. Today, the ESLC is co-chaired by Frederick W. Smith and General James T. Conway (Ret), 34th Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps.
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