Even oil dictators need a social license to operate - Aliyev's cultural spending spree

Even oil dictators need a social license to operate – Aliyev’s cultural spending spree

Whether it’s BP’s sponsorship of the Tate galleries, Shell’s funding for the Southbank Centre or Tullow Oil’s controversial deals with Sunderland football club oil company sponsorship of the arts is a familiar phenomenon. But what about oil dictators? Do they also need a social license to operate? What kinds of institutions would they throw money...