That helps explain why the $330 billion oil giant is considering extending his contract beyond mandatory retirement age, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Wirth faces mandatory retirement in 2025 when he turns 65, a stipulation that was in place when the company appointed him to be CEO in 2018.
Chevron's operating margin last year was 18%, the highest in four decades, and the firm earned a record $35 billion.
A year later, after oil prices had fallen by a third, Wirth launched a deal to buy Noble Energy on the cheap.
If so, oil companies will be well served by executives who can squeeze additional pennies out of existing production, while buying potentially available rivals when they are cheap.