Ray R. Irani

Ray R. Irani (born January 15, 1935) is the current chairman and former chief executive officer of Occidental Petroleum. He has worked at Occidental Petroleum for over 20 years, serving as a director since 1984, chief operating officer (president) from 1984 to 1990, and chairman and chief executive officer from 1990. During his early years, he worked with notable Occidental CEO Armand Hammer, who at age 91, named Irani his successor in February 1990. According to Forbes.com, his five-year total compensation between 2001 and 2005 was $127,447,000. In 2006, after a rise in oil prices, Irani earned a total of $460 million. Irani was born in Lebanon and is of Palestinian origin. He received bachelor of science in chemistry at the American...