A farewell to Matt Simmons: The iconoclastic Simmons leaves a legacy of contribution and controversy

摘要

People did not always like what Matt Simmons had to say. But they always listened. Simmons, who died Aug. 8, 2010, at 67, was an industry pundit nonpareil. He founded Simmons & Co. International and was its chairman until retiring a few months ago. He also wrote "Twilight in the Desert: The Coming Saudi Oil Shock and the World Economy." The book warned of a looming oil shortage and became a Wall Street Journal best-seller. The book was inspired by a 2003 trip to Saudi Arabia. Businessweek reported that Simmons returned from the trip and began studying reams of technical papers trying to determine remaining reserves. "The book catapulted Simmons into the limelight," the article states.