Pursuits
Burned by Icahn, Cheniere's Ex-CEO Contemplates Life as Ski Bum
- Charif Souki wanted to keep growing Cheniere's export capacity
- Legacy of thinking ahead of Exxon, Chevron, Shell: Alembic
Ousted Cheniere CEO Souki Says Board Made Right Call
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Charif Souki said he knew something was wrong on Dec. 8 when Cheniere Energy Inc.’s board of directors asked him to leave the room -- and then spent 10 hours talking without him.
Three days after that meeting, the company co-founder flew to his home in Aspen and waited for a decision on his fate. After spending two decades building up Cheniere, Souki had become embroiled in a fight with billionaire activist investor Carl Icahn over the company’s future. He was only a month away from watching the first export of U.S. liquefied natural gas leave its Sabine Pass terminal in Louisiana.