Christopher Leonard is a business reporter whose work has appeared in The Washington Post, Fortune and Bloomberg Businessweek. He is the author Kochland, which won the J. Anthony Lukas Work-in-Progress Award. The opinions expressed in this commentary are his own.
.leftside-floating-image { width:100%; display:block; margin:0 auto 1.5rem; } @media screen and { .leftside-floating-image { float:left; width:50%; max-width: 200px; display:block; margin:0 1.5rem 1rem 0; } } When David Koch passed away on Friday, he left behind one of the largest fortunes in America. David and his brother Charles have been near the top of Forbes' list of the richest people for decades.
David always took a back seat to Charles when it came to running the corporation. But he was more willing to be the public face of the privately held firm. Although his family was from Wichita, Kansas, David spent time in New York and was generous in his philanthropy. He gave money to a cancer research center at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. and a major exhibit at a Smithsonian museum in Washington, D.C.
This is a stunning thing, especially considering where Koch Industries started. Back when David Koch was born, the family company was a privately held firm based in Wichita, Kansas. The company was founded by Fred Koch, a fire-breathing conservative who co-founded the John Birch Society, a secret organization that believed the federal government had been co-opted by Communists. Fred Koch had four sons: his oldest Fred, then Charles, and then twin boys, David and Bill.
Business Did he leave the world a better place?
Business I hope he is rotting and burning in the deep hell
Business In other words, if you eat, live in a house, drives a car, you can thank Koch for making it happen.
Business One reason why I consume as little as possible. May not be able to avoid it completely but can keep it to a minimum. Recycling, reuse, repurpose. Grow your own. Forage, etc.
Business Why is it lawful that we be manipulated by the very rich? In spite of what the Supreme Court decided, using massive wealth to further one’s own agenda isn’t democratic. Koch was a climate change denier. He was richer but dumber than most.
Business I couldn't find any tiny violins.
Business It’s known as capitalism.....enjoy it.
Business Bye bye
Business *or if you live in Venezuela
Business And damaging the environment to do it
Business That’s the kind of business I want to do.