[lazide]

Anglo-Persian was majority owned and controlled by the British gov’t at the time, as per the link I posted (and the BBC).

“Shortly before World War I, Anglo-Persian managed to find a new backer - and good customer.

After lengthy negotiations, the oilmen promised Winston Churchill, then First Lord of the Admiralty, secure supplies of oil.

In exchange the British government injected £2m of new capital into the company, acquired a controlling interest and became de-facto the hidden power behind the oil company.”

Anglo-Persian was no more a private company at the time than In-Q-Tel [https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/In-Q-Tel].

So your ‘stealing back my bicycle’ analogy is even more apt than you’re giving it credit for, IMO.