A Hollywood director helping to bankroll Just Stop Oil has been accused of hypocrisy over his lavish holiday home in Ireland – 5,000 miles from his Los Angeles base.
Oscar winner Adam McKay, whose films include the Big Short and Don’t Look Up, is one of a group of multi-millionaires behind the Climate Emergency Fund.
The Beverly Hills-based fund raises cash from its mega rich supporters and distributes it to ‘disruptive’ activists, including handing almost £1million to help Just Stop Oil wreak havoc in the UK.
Mr McKay is a director of the fund and has donated over £3.2million to it to support ‘recruitment and training’ for groups including the British activists.
In a webinar last year he pledged to help Just Stop Oil in any way possible and was even prepared to be arrested for their cause.
Oscar winner Adam McKay (pictured with his wife), whose films include the Big Short and Don’t Look Up, is one of a group of multi-millionaires behind the Climate Emergency Fund
Chris Packham joins activists from Just Stop Oil as they form a rolling protest in central London on May 26, 2023
Despite his financial commitment to environmentalism the director, who owns a £6million Los Angeles home, has described how he holidays in his eight-bedroom second home in rural Ireland.
A 2020 Architectural Digest interview with Mr McKay and his wife, fellow writer-director Shira Piven, described how ‘when the going gets tough’ the couple ‘take refuge in their 12-acre getaway in the Celtic countryside’.
Details of his holiday home emerged as Just Stop Oil zealots were last week branded ‘absolute morons’ for permanently damaging a sustainable garden at the Chelsea Flower Show by hurling orange powder paint over it.
The group were also criticised for a series of go-slow marches in London this week which caused mayhem for commuters – and on one occasion led to a workman being handcuffed by police as he tried to move them.
The Climate Emergency Fund launched in 2019 after the three founders’ multi-million-pound homes in the exclusive Californian ocean-front city of Malibu nearly burnt down in bush fires which they blamed on climate change.
These included Aileen Getty, the granddaughter of billionaire oil tycoon Jean Paul Getty, and Rory Kennedy who is the daughter of Senator Robert Kennedy.
The third founder, investor Trevor Neilson who is listed as owning £2.1million home in Malibu, said they wanted to support ‘disruptive activists’ after becoming disillusioned by the slow approach of traditional environmental groups.
But while the Climate Emergency Fund started due to concerns close to home, much of the cash it has raised has been sent thousands of miles away to help activists disrupt lives in the UK.
It handed out £4million in grants in 2022 with a large portion going to 11 groups – including Just Stop Oil and Insulate Britain in the UK.
Adam McKay wears Just Stop Oil t-shirt as he openly supports group in picture shared to social media
On its website the fund boasts of the mayhem caused by Just Stop Oil and posted a link to a report on the protest at the World Snooker Championship in Sheffield.
In its annual report it hails the road blockages in Britain by activists that have caused huge problems for commuters.
Gareth Johnson, the Tory MP for Dartford, said having Hollywood stars helping to disrupt the lives of hard-working Britons damaged their cause.
‘It’s ironic that these people say that they want to help the planet while at the same time one of them appears to be harming it with travel to a holiday home thousands of miles away from where he lives.
‘I’m sure these multi-millionaires wouldn’t like their travel plans disrupted but they are only too happy to have the travel plans or ordinary people disrupted.’
Representatives for Mr McKay, the Climate Emergency Fund and Just Stop Oil did not respond to a request for comment.
