Koch family

The Koch family (koʊk ) is an American family engaged in business, best known for their political activities and their control of Koch Industries, the 2nd largest privately owned company in the United States (with 2019 revenues of $115 billion). The family business was started by Fred C. Koch, who developed a new cracking method for the refinement of heavy crude oil into gasoline. Fred's four sons litigated against each other over their interests in the business during the 1980s and 1990s. By 2019, Charles Koch and David Koch, commonly referred to as the Koch brothers, were the only ones of Fred Koch's four sons still with Koch Industries. Charles and David Koch built a political network of libertarian and conservative donors, and the brothers funneled financial revenue into television and multi-media advertising. David Koch died in August 2019. Fred C. Koch (1900–1967), American chemical engineer and entrepreneur who founded the oil refinery firm that later became Koch Industries and was one of the founding members of the John Birch Society. Mary Robinson Koch (1907–1990), wife of Fred C. and eponym of the company's namesake tanker vessel Mary R. Koch Four sons of Fred C. and Mary Robinson Koch: Frederick R. Koch (1933–2020), collector Charles Koch (born 1935), chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Koch Industries Chase Koch (born 1977), president of Koch Disruptive Technologies Elizabeth Koch (born 1976), publisher and writer David Koch (1940–2019), executive vice president of Koch Industries Julia Koch (born 1962), socialite and wife of David Koch Bill Koch (born 1940), businessman, sailor, and collector Koch family foundations The Koch family foundations are a related group of non-profit organizations that began with the establishment of the Fred and Mary Koch Foundation in 1953, and now includes the Charles Koch Foundation, the David H. Koch Charitable Foundation and the Koch Cultural Trust. The organizations collectively have a stated goal of "advancing liberty and freedom" through the support of various causes which "further social progress and sustainable growth in prosperity.