Koch family
American family controlling Koch Inc and a major political donor network.
The Koch family (pronounced KOHK) is an American business dynasty, most famous for its deep involvement in politics through the Koch network and for owning Koch Industries, Inc., the second-largest privately held company in the United States (which posted $115 billion in revenue in 2019). The family enterprise began in 1940 with Fred C. Koch, a chemical engineer who co-developed an improved thermal cracking process in the late 1920s and later founded the company that became Koch Industries. During the 1980s and 1990s, Fred’s four sons fought legal battles against each other over their stakes in the business. By 2019, only two of those sons—Charles and David Koch, known as the Koch brothers—remained with Koch Industries. Together, they created a political network of libertarian and conservative donors and poured money into television and multimedia advertising. David Koch died in August 2019.
**Family members** Fred C. Koch (1900–1967) was an American chemical engineer and entrepreneur who founded the oil refinery that became Koch Industries, and was a founding member of the John Birch Society. Mary Robinson Koch (1907–1990) was his wife and the namesake of the company’s tanker vessel *Mary R. Koch*. Their four sons: Frederick R. Koch (1933–2020), a collector; Charles Koch (born 1935), chairman and CEO of Koch Industries; David Koch (1940–2019), executive vice president of Koch Industries; and Bill Koch (born 1940), a businessman, sailor, and collector. Other notable family members include Charles’s son Chase Koch (born 1977), president of Koch Disruptive Technologies; Charles’s daughter Elizabeth Koch (born 1976), a publisher and writer; and David’s wife Julia Koch (born 1962), a socialite.
**Non-profit organizations** The Koch family foundations began with the Fred and Mary Koch Foundation in 1953. Today, they include the Charles Koch Foundation, the David H. Koch Charitable Foundation, and the Koch Cultural Trust. These groups aim to “advance liberty and freedom” by supporting causes that “further social progress and sustainable growth in prosperity.” They also fund research, libertarian approaches to public well-being, arts, and education, including contributions to think tanks such as the Cato Institute (originally called the Charles Koch Foundation).
**Political activities** Bill Koch has been involved in conservative politics, especially oppos
- family_founder
- Fred C. Koch (1900–1967)
- field
- Business, political advocacy
- nationality
- American
- known_for
- Control of Koch Industries, Koch network political activities
- notable_members
- Charles Koch (born 1935), David Koch (1940–2019)
Lore & Background
The Koch family business was started in 1940 by Fred C. Koch, a chemical engineer who co-developed an improved thermal cracking process in the late 1920s and later founded the company that became Koch Industries. Fred and his wife Mary Robinson Koch had four sons: Frederick R., Charles, David, and Bill. During the 1980s and 1990s, the four sons litigated against each other over their interests in the business. By 2019, only Charles and David remained with Koch Industries, which had become the 2nd largest privately owned company in the United States with 2019 revenues of $115 billion. David Koch died in August 2019.
Charles and David Koch built a political network of libertarian and conservative donors, beginning at least in 1980 when David Koch was the vice-presidential nominee for the Libertarian Party. Their political contributions have included funding anti-abortion and traditional marriage groups, as both brothers have publicly stated they are personally pro-life and have supported traditional marriage.
Reader's Guide
The Koch family's significance lies in their dual role as industrial magnates and political power brokers. Through Koch Inc, they built one of the largest privately held companies in America, while through their foundations and donor network they became a central force in American conservative and libertarian politics. Their political activities have focused on supporting think tanks and institutions that deny or downplay man-made climate change, and they have worked on criminal justice reform alongside the American Civil Liberties Union. The family's influence has been noted by journalists and politicians, including House Speaker John Boehner's appeal to David Koch in 2011 for votes to prevent a government shutdown. Their network has been described by American University's Investigative Reporting Workshop as 'what may be the best funded, multifaceted, public policy, political and educational presence in the nation today.' The Koch family foundations collectively state a goal of 'advancing liberty and freedom' through support of causes that 'further social progress and sustainable growth in prosperity.'
Did You Know?
- Fred C. Koch was one of the founding members of the John Birch Society.
- David Koch was the vice-presidential nominee for the Libertarian Party in 1980.
- The Koch brothers opposed George W. Bush on many issues, are pro-choice, and support same sex marriage.
- The Koch family foundations began with the Fred and Mary Koch Foundation in 1953.
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