Buffett Says BP CEO Hayward Will Have to Go After Oil Spill, Yahoo Reports

Billionaire investor Warren Buffett said no one has an interest in Tony Hayward remaining as chief executive officer of BP Plc after the worst oil spill in U.S. history in the Gulf of Mexico.

“It’s not in BP’s interest to actually continue with him as CEO,” Buffett said in an interview with Yahoo! News and the Huffington Post that was published on Yahoo’s website today. “I don’t know him personally and he may be the most wonderful guy in the world, but it’s not in their interest and not in our country’s interest to have him continue.”

BP spokeswoman Sheila Williams in London declined to comment on the report. The company has said there are no plans to replace Hayward.

Buffett said that Hayward probably wouldn’t still be working for him if BP was one of his companies.

“When you have something of that impact on society, it’s like the captain of a ship,” Buffett said. “You’re responsible even though some second lieutenant made all the mistakes.”

To contact the reporter on this story: Brian Swint in London at bswint@bloomberg.net.

July 8 (Bloomberg) -- Daniel Pickering, an analyst at Tudor Pickering Holt & Co., discusses the outlook for BP Plc following Chief Executive Officer Tony Hayward’s meeting with Abu Dhabi’s crown prince yesterday and potential interest of sovereign wealth funds in buying BP stock. Pickering talks with Betty Liu on Bloomberg Television’s “In the Loop.” (Source: Bloomberg)