Shell is hardly a poster child for malfeasance: it is performing well, its pay is similar to that at other big oil firms and its shareholders previously gave directors discretion to bend the rules.

• 壳牌公司一直表现良好，从不是违法乱纪的反面教材，所发薪酬与其他的大型石油公司相当，其股东先前对公司的那些规定的执行也总是睁只眼闭只眼。