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{{Short description|American billionaire and businessman}}
[[Image:CharlesKoch2004 medium.jpg|right]]
{{Use American English|date=February 2016}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2019}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Charles Koch
| image = Charles Koch portrait (cropped).jpg
| caption = Koch in 2019
| birth_name = Charles de Ganahl Koch
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1935|11|1}}
| birth_place = [[Wichita, Kansas]], U.S.
| education = [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]] ([[Bachelor of Science|BS]], [[Master of Science|MS]], [[Master of Science|MS]])
| occupation = Businessman
| title = Chairman and [[chief executive officer|CEO]] of [[Koch Industries]]
| employer = [[Koch Industries]]
| party = [[Libertarian Party (United States)|Libertarian]]
| spouse = {{marriage|Liz Koch|1972}}<ref name="cgk-bio">{{cite web |url=https://www.charleskochfoundation.org/about-us/charles-g-koch/ |title=Charles G. Koch {{!}} Charles Koch Foundation |publisher=Charles G. Koch Foundation |access-date=August 23, 2019}}</ref>
| children = {{plainlist|
* [[Chase Koch]]<ref name="Mr. Big">[https://www.forbes.com/global/2006/0313/024.html Mr. Big] Forbes.com. Retrieved November 2011.</ref>
* [[Elizabeth Koch (publisher)|Elizabeth Koch]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nnp.org/nni/Publications/Dutch-American/kochc.htm|title=Koch, Charles (1935)|publisher=New Netherland Project|access-date=November 29, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101213104651/http://www.nnp.org/nni/Publications/Dutch-American/kochc.htm|archive-date=December 13, 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref>
}}
| parents = {{plainlist|
* [[Fred C. Koch]]
* Mary Robinson}}
| relatives = {{plainlist|
* [[Frederick R. Koch]] (brother)
* [[David Koch]] (brother)
* [[Bill Koch (businessman)|Bill Koch]] (brother)}}
| signature = Charles Koch's Signature.png
| signature_alt = Koch's signature
}}
{{Libertarianism US|people}}
'''Charles de Ganahl Koch''' ({{IPAc-en|k|oʊ|k}} {{respell|KOHK}}; born November 1, 1935) is an American billionaire businessman. As of February 2024, he was ranked as the 23rd richest man in the world on the ''[[Bloomberg Billionaires Index]]'', with an estimated net worth of $64.9 billion.<ref name="char_net">{{cite news |title=Bloomberg Billionaires Index: Charles Koch |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/billionaires/profiles/charles-d-koch/ |access-date=28 February 2024 |website=[[Bloomberg News|Bloomberg]]}}</ref> Koch has been co-owner, chairman, and [[chief executive officer]] of [[Koch Industries]] since 1967, while his late brother [[David Koch]] served as executive vice president. Charles and David each owned 42% of the conglomerate. The brothers inherited the business from their father, [[Fred C. Koch]], then expanded the business.<ref name="time" /> Koch Industries is the largest privately held company by revenue in the United States, according to Forbes.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020|title=America's Largest Private Companies|url=https://www.forbes.com/largest-private-companies/list/|access-date=17 March 2021|website=Forbes}}</ref>
 
Koch also supports a number of libertarian [[think tank]]s, including the [[Institute for Humane Studies]], the [[Cato Institute]], the [[Ayn Rand Institute]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Ayn Rand Institute - Ties to the Koch Brothers |website=SourceWatch |access-date=March 2, 2020 |url=https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Ayn_Rand_Institute#Ties_to_the_Koch_Brothers}}</ref> and the [[Mercatus Center]] at [[George Mason University]]. He also contributes to the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]] and candidates, [[Libertarianism|libertarian]] groups, and various charitable and cultural institutions. He co-founded the Washington, D.C.–based [[Cato Institute]]. Along with his brother, Koch has been an important funder of think tanks that [[Lobbying in the United States|lobby]] to [[Anti-environmentalism|oppose environmental regulation]]. Koch has published four books detailing his business philosophy, ''Market Based Management'' (2006),<ref>2006 {{ISBN|978-1931721998}}</ref> ''[[The Science of Success]]'' (2007),<ref>Charles G. Koch (2007). [http://www.kochind.com/MBM/science_of_success.aspx ''The Science Of Success''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140517193106/http://www.kochind.com/MBM/science_of_success.aspx|date=May 17, 2014}} {{ISBN|978-0470139882}} Retrieved April 2011.</ref> ''[[Good Profit]]'' (2015),<ref>[http://www.bizjournals.com/wichita/news/2015/10/12/charles-koch-s-new-book-out-tuesday.html "Charles Koch's New Book Out Tuesday"] ''Biz Journals, Wichita'', October 12, 2015. {{ISBN|978-0147520470}}</ref> and ''Believe in People'' (2020).<ref>{{Cite web |title="Believe in People" By Charles Koch & Brian Hooks |url=https://believeinpeoplebook.com/ |access-date=2023-09-06 |website=Believe In People |language=en-US}}</ref>
'''Charles G. Koch''' (born [[November 1]], [[1935]]) is chairman of the board and [[chief executive officer]] of [[Koch Industries]], Inc., the largest privately held company in [[United States|America]].
 
==Early life and education==
From 1961, when Charles came to work at his father's business, to 2005, the value of the Standard & Poor's 500 grew about 100-fold, assuming the reinvestment of dividends. During that same period, the value of Koch Industries grew nearly 1,600-fold, using the same assumptions. The growth of Koch companies has been achieved both through acquisitions and through expansion and broadening of existing businesses. Koch companies also exit or decrease their investments in businesses based on a continuous evaluation process that compares their internal value to their market value. (See [[Koch_Industries#Acquisitions_and_related_milestones|Koch Industries acquisitions and related milestones]].)
Koch was born and lives in [[Wichita, Kansas]], one of four sons of Clementine Mary (née Robinson) and [[Fred C. Koch|Fred Chase Koch]].<ref name=forbes/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fmkfoundation.org/history.asp |title=FMK Foundation History |publisher=Fmkfoundation.org |access-date=2010-08-29 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131114070358/http://www.fmkfoundation.org/history.asp |archive-date=November 14, 2013}}</ref> Koch's grandfather, [[Harry Koch (businessman)|Harry Koch]], was a [[Dutch people|Dutch]] immigrant who settled in West Texas, founded the Quanah Tribune-Chief newspaper, and was a founding shareholder of [[Quanah, Acme and Pacific Railway]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Koch's Laws |author=Daniel Fisher |newspaper=[[Forbes]] |date=February 26, 2007 |url=https://www.forbes.com/2007/02/26/science-success-management-lead-ceo-cz_df_0226kochbookreview.html |access-date=November 16, 2010}}</ref> Among his maternal great-great-grandparents were [[William Ingraham Kip]], an Episcopal bishop, and [[Elizabeth Clementine Stedman]], a writer.
 
In an interview with Warren Cassell Jr., which was recorded in February 2016, Koch stated that as a child he did not live a privileged lifestyle despite growing up in a wealthy family. Koch said, "My father wanted me to work as if I was the poorest person in the world."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kochinterview.com|title=Interview with Charles Koch|website=Warren Cassell Jr.}}</ref> After attending several private high schools,<ref>{{cite news|last1=Tankersley|first1=Jim|title='I don't like the idea of capitalism': Charles Koch, unfiltered|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/08/01/i-dont-like-the-idea-of-capitalism-charles-koch-unfiltered/|access-date=December 6, 2017|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=August 1, 2016}}</ref> Koch was educated at the [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]]. He is a member of the [[Beta Theta Pi]] fraternity.<ref>{{cite web |title=Forbes: Charles Koch Bio |url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/charles-koch/#17030e6a57d7 |website=Forbes |access-date=January 17, 2019}}</ref> He received a [[Bachelor of Science]] (B.S.) in [[Engineering|general engineering]] in 1957, a [[Master of Science]] (M.S.) in [[nuclear engineering]] in 1958, and a second M.S. in [[Chemical Engineering|chemical engineering]] in 1959.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://news.mit.edu/1997/koch-0416|access-date=October 13, 2023 |title=Koch CEO to speak at MIT |date=April 16, 1997 }}</ref> His focus was on ways to refine oil.
Charles's academic life was spent at the [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]]. In [[1957]], Charles received a [[bachelor's degree]] in general [[engineering]]. He also received a [[master's degree]] in [[mechanical engineering]] in [[1958]] and a masters degree in [[chemical engineering]] in [[1960]].
 
After college, Koch started work at [[Arthur D. Little, Inc.]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Charles G. Koch [1935] |url=https://www.newnetherlandinstitute.org/history-and-heritage/dutch_americans/charles-g-koch/ |publisher=New Netherland Institute |access-date=22 September 2020}}</ref>
Charles was born and lives in [[Wichita, Kansas]], one of four sons of [[Fred C. Koch|Fred C.]] and Mary Robinson Koch. Charles and his wife, Liz, have two children, Elizabeth and Chase.
 
==Career==
Charles Koch is a [[libertarian]] and supports many pro-free-market organizations such as the [[Cato Institute]], which he founded together with [[Edward H. Crane]] in [[1977]].
In 1961 he moved back to Wichita to join his father's business, [[Koch Industries|Rock Island Oil & Refining Company]] (now known as [[Koch Industries]]).<ref name=Twenty/> In 1967, he became president of the business, which was then a medium-sized oil firm.<ref name=Moore>{{cite news |title=The Weekend Interview with Charles Koch: Private Enterprise |author=Stephen Moore |author-link=Stephen Moore (writer) |newspaper=[[The Wall Street Journal]]<!--Eastern Edition--> |date=May 6, 2006 |page=A.8 |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB114687252956545543?mod=googlenews_wsj}}</ref> In the same year, he renamed the firm Koch Industries in honor of his father.<ref name=Greik/> Charles's brothers [[Frederick R. Koch|Frederick]] and [[Bill Koch (businessman)|Bill]] had inherited stock in Koch Industries. In June 1983, after a legal and boardroom battle, the stakes of Frederick and Bill were bought out for $1.1 billion and Charles and his younger brother David became majority owners in the company.<ref>{{cite news | url= https://www.nytimes.com/1998/04/28/business/brother-versus-brother-koch-family-s-long-legal-feud-is-headed-for-a-jury.html | title=Brother Versus Brother; Koch Family's Long Legal Feud Is Headed for a Jury | first=Leslie | last= Wayne | work=[[The New York Times]] | date=April 28, 1998 | url-status=live | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180326160300/https://www.nytimes.com/1998/04/28/business/brother-versus-brother-koch-family-s-long-legal-feud-is-headed-for-a-jury.html | archive-date=March 26, 2018 | df=mdy-all }}</ref> Despite the settlement, legal disputes continued until May 2001, when [[CBS]] News reported that Koch Industries settled for $25 million.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/blood-and-oil/ |title=Blood And Oil |work=CBS News |date=2000-11-27 |access-date=2015-10-15}}</ref>
 
In 2006, [[Koch Industries]] generated $90 billion in revenue, a growth of 2000 times over, which represents an annual compounded return of 18%.<ref name=Skousen>{{cite news |title=Business Bookshelf: A Short Course In Long-Term Value |author=Mark Skousen |newspaper=[[The Wall Street Journal]]<!--Eastern Edition--> |date=March 4, 2007 |page=D.8}}</ref> {{As of|2014}}, Koch was worth approximately US$41.3<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/charles-koch/|title=Charles Koch|author=Carrie Sheffield|work=Forbes}}</ref> billion (in 2013 $36 billion) according to the [[Forbes 400]] list.<ref name=forbes>{{cite news |url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/charles-koch |work=Forbes |title=The 400 Richest Americans |quote= Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Bachelor of Arts / Science Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Master of Science Son of Koch Industries founder Fred C. Koch (d. 1967), MIT grad who invented method of refining gasoline from heavy oil. Took refining innovation to Soviet Union 1929; returned home 1930s. Sons Frederick, Charles, David and William inherited Koch Industries after father's death; Charles and David bought out William and Frederick for $1.3 billion in 1983.}}</ref> Koch would routinely work 12-hour days at the office (and then spent more time working at home), weekends, and expected executives at Koch Industries to work weekends as well.<ref>{{Cite web| author1=Brian O'Reilly|author2= Patty De Llosa |url=https://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/1997/02/17/222188/index.htm|title=The Curse on the Koch Brothers One of the Biggest Family Feuds in Business History May Soon Come to a Climax, You Thought $1 Billion Could Buy Happiness? Not For These Guys|date=February 17, 1997|website=archive.fortune.com|access-date=2018-05-05}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.kochind.com/files/wichitaeagle1994series.pdf|title=Koch and his empire grew together|last=Boulton|first=Guy|date=June 26, 1994|website=Wichita Eagle|access-date=May 5, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140616184444/http://www.kochind.com/files/WichitaEagle1994series.PDF|archive-date=June 16, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>
Koch also funds a highly selective, summer fellowship program through the [[Institue for Humane Studies]].
 
Koch has been a director of INTRUST Financial Corp. since 1982<ref>{{cite web |title=Commission File Number 2-78658 |url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/705025/0000705025-95-000002.txt |publisher=Securities and Exchange Commission |access-date=28 February 2020}}</ref> and director of Koch Industries Inc. since 1982. He is director of resin and fiber company [[Invista]] and director of [[Georgia-Pacific]] LLC, paper and pulp products. Koch founded or helped found several organizations, including the [[Cato Institute]], the [[Institute for Humane Studies]] and the [[Mercatus Center]] at [[George Mason University]], the [[Bill of Rights Institute]], and the [[Market-Based Management Institute]]. He is a member of the [[Mont Pelerin Society]].<ref>[http://mercatus.org/charles-koch Koch's bio] at the Mercatus Center</ref>
== External link ==
 
*[http://www.kochind.com/newsroom/bio_detail.asp?ID=1 Corporate biography]
==Political and economic views==
*[http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Charles_G._Koch Sourcewatch entry for Charles G. Koch]
 
{{start box}}
Charles Koch describes himself as a [[Classical liberalism|classical liberal]] and has formerly identified as a [[Libertarianism in the United States|libertarian]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Charles Koch opens up about his 'classical liberal' views|url=https://video.foxnews.com/v/4561118939001/charles-koch-opens-up-about-his-classical-liberal-views/|access-date=December 27, 2015|publisher=Fox News|date=October 15, 2015}}</ref> He is opposed to [[corporate welfare]]<ref>The Koch Brothers December 24, 2012 p. 96 Forbes</ref> and told the ''[[National Journal]]'' that his "overall concept is to minimize the role of government and to maximize the role of private economy and to maximize personal freedoms."<ref>''[[National Journal]]'' (May 16, 1992)</ref> He has expressed concern about too much government regulation in the U.S., stating that "we could be facing the greatest loss of liberty and prosperity since the 1930s."<ref>The Top 10 ''[[Forbes Asia]]'' October 19, 2009.</ref> In addition, he has warned that drastic [[Overspending#Government|government overspending]] and a decline of the [[free enterprise system]] will prove detrimental to long-term social and economic prosperity.<ref name=Continetti>{{cite news|first=Matthew |last=Continetti|author-link=Matthew Continetti|title=The Paranoid Style in Liberal Politics|work=[[The Weekly Standard]]|date=April 4, 2011|url=http://www.weeklystandard.com/articles/paranoid-style-liberal-politics_555525.html?page=2|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110411062913/http://www.weeklystandard.com/articles/paranoid-style-liberal-politics_555525.html?page=2|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 11, 2011}}</ref>
{{succession box|
 
before=[[Stefan Persson]]|
According to [[Stephen Moore (writer)|Stephen Moore]], influences on Koch include [[Alexis de Tocqueville]],<ref>Koch, Charles, ''[[The Science of Success]]'', p. 57</ref> [[Adam Smith]], [[Michael Polanyi]],<ref name=Twenty/> [[Joseph Schumpeter]], [[Julian Simon]], [[Paul Johnson (writer)|Paul Johnson]], [[Thomas Sowell]], [[Charles Murray (political scientist)|Charles Murray]], [[Leonard Read]],<!--it seems Moore meant to spell Reed as Read--> and [[F. A. Harper]].<ref name=Moore/> The presidents he most admires include [[George Washington]], [[Grover Cleveland]], and [[Calvin Coolidge]]. In an interview with the ''[[American Journal of Business]]'', Koch said he owes "a huge debt of gratitude to the giants who created the [[Austrian School]] [of economics]. They developed principles that enabled me to gain an understanding of how the world works, and these ideas were a catalyst in the development of Market-Based Management." In particular, he expresses admiration for [[Ludwig von Mises]]' book ''[[Human Action]]'', as well as the writings of [[Friedrich Hayek]].<ref name=Twenty>{{cite journal |title=Twenty Questions for Charles Koch |journal=[[American Journal of Business]] |url=http://www.bsu.edu/mcobwin/majb/?p=584 |location=[[Muncie, Indiana|Muncie]] |volume=24 |issue=1 |pages=15–8 |date=Spring 2009 |access-date=April 10, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121013171247/http://www.bsu.edu/mcobwin/majb/?p=584 |archive-date=October 13, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Koch said "the short-term infatuation with quarterly earnings on Wall Street restricts the earnings potential of Fortune 500 publicly traded firms."<ref name=Moore/> He also considers public firms to be "feeding grounds for lawyers and lawsuits," with regulations like [[Sarbanes–Oxley]] only increasing the earnings potential of privately held companies.<ref name=Moore/>
title=[[List of billionaires|World's Richest People]]|
 
years=|
Koch disdains "[[big government]]" and the "[[political class]]."<ref name=Moore/> He believes billionaires [[Warren Buffett]] and [[George Soros]], who fund organizations with different ideologies, "simply haven't been sufficiently exposed to the ideas of liberty."<ref name=Moore/><!-- |quote='...so many of the global superrich, like George Soros and Warren Buffett, finance institutions that undermine the very system of capitalism that made their success possible. Isn't this just the usual rich liberal guilt', I ask. 'No,' he says, 'I think they simply haven't been sufficiently exposed to the ideas of liberty.' --> Koch claimed "prosperity is under attack" by the [[Obama administration]] and sought to warn "of policies that threaten to erode our economic freedom and transfer vast sums of money to the state."<ref name="Zernike"/>
after=[[David Koch]] (has same net worth)|
 
}}
Koch supports [[Legality of cannabis|cannabis legalization]]. As of 2021, Koch is "actively funding efforts to end [[Legal history of cannabis in the United States|federal marijuana prohibition]]."<ref>{{Cite web|last=Yakowicz|first=Will|date=2021-07-27|title=Billionaire Charles Koch On Why Cannabis Should Be Legal|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/willyakowicz/2021/07/27/billionaire-charles-koch-on-why-cannabis-should-be-legal/|access-date=2022-02-19|website=Forbes|language=en}}</ref>
{{end box}}
 
In an April 2011 ''Wall Street Journal'' op-ed, Koch wrote:
 
<blockquote>Government spending on business only aggravates the problem. Too many businesses have successfully lobbied for special favors and treatment by seeking mandates for their products, subsidies (in the form of cash payments from the government), and regulations and tariffs to keep more efficient competitors at bay. [[Crony capitalism]] is much easier than competing in an open market. But it erodes our overall standard of living and stifles entrepreneurs by rewarding the politically favored rather than those who provide what consumers want.<ref name="Wall Street Journal">{{cite news|last=Koch|first=Charles|title=Why Koch Industries Is Speaking Out|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704288304576170974226083178|newspaper=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|date=March 1, 2011}}</ref></blockquote>
 
His opposition to corporate welfare includes lobbying for the end to [[Energy subsidies#Allocation of subsidies in the United States|ethanol subsidies]] even though Koch Industries is a major ethanol producer. He is quoted as saying: "The first thing we've got to get rid of is business welfare and entitlements."<ref name=Forbes20121205 />
 
In an April 2014 ''Wall Street Journal'' op-ed, Koch wrote, "the fundamental concepts of dignity, respect, equality before the law and personal freedom are under attack by the nation's own government." He criticized the [[Obama administration]], saying that its "central belief and fatal conceit" is that people are not capable of running their own lives. "This is the essence of big government and collectivism," he wrote. He cited the "current health care debacle" as an example of disastrous government control. He complained that he had been the victim of "character assassination."<ref name="Wall Street Journal2">{{cite news|last=Koch|first=Charles|title=Charles Koch: I'm Fighting to Restore a Free Society|url=https://www.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303978304579475860515021286|newspaper=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|date=April 3, 2014}}</ref><ref name="Politico">{{cite news|last=Kopan|first=Tal|title=Charles Koch calls critics 'collectivists'|url=http://www.politico.com/story/2014/04/charles-koch-critics-koch-brothers-105336.html|newspaper=[[Politico]]|date=April 3, 2014}}</ref>
 
===Market-based management===
Koch's business philosophy, "market-based management" (MBM), is described in his 2007 book ''[[The Science of Success]]''. In an interview with the ''[[Wichita Eagle]]'',<ref name=Greik>{{cite news |title=Charles Koch: His philosophy and his company |author=Phyllis Jacobs Griekspoor |newspaper=[[Wichita Eagle]] |date=March 4, 2007 |url=http://www.charleskoch.com/newsroom/news_releases_details.aspx?id=904 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110912054947/http://www.charleskoch.com/newsroom/news_releases_details.aspx?id=904 |archive-date=September 12, 2011 }}</ref> he said that he was motivated to write the book by Koch Industries' 2004 acquisition of [[Invista]] so he could give new employees a "comprehensive picture" of MBM. According to the website of the Market-Based Management Institute, which Koch founded in 2005, MBM is "based on rules of just conduct, economic thinking, and sound mental models", harnessing the dispersed knowledge of employees just as markets harness knowledge in society. "It is organized in and interpreted through five dimensions: vision, virtue and talents, decision rights, incentives, and knowledge processes."<ref>[http://www.mbminstitute.org/what-is-mbm.cfm What is MBM?] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110114065550/http://www.mbminstitute.org/what-is-mbm.cfm |date=January 14, 2011 }} www.mbminstitute.org. Retrieved April 2011.</ref> In the book, Koch attempts to apply [[Friedrich Hayek]]'s [[spontaneous order]] theory and [[Austrian School|Austrian entrepreneurial theory]], such as that of [[Ludwig von Mises|Mises]] and [[Israel Kirzner]], to organizational management.<ref name=Forbes20121205>{{cite news|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/danielfisher/2012/12/05/inside-the-koch-empire-how-the-brothers-plan-to-reshape-america/| title=Inside The Koch Empire: How The Brothers Plan To Reshape America|date=December 5, 2012|author=Daniel Fisher|newspaper=Forbes}}</ref><ref name=Times20120516>{{cite news|last=Schor|first=Elana|title=In Right's Energy-Subsidy Clash, Shades of Koch vs. Pickens|url=https://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2011/05/16/16greenwire-in-rights-energy-subsidy-clash-shades-of-koch-94124.html|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=May 19, 2011|date=May 16, 2011}}</ref>
 
==Political activities and philanthropy==
{{See also|Political activities of the Koch brothers}}
 
=== Libertarianism ===
Koch funds and supports libertarian and free-enterprise policy and advocacy organizations.<ref name=Zernike>{{cite news |title=Secretive Republican Donors Are Planning Ahead |author=Kate Zernike |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=October 25, 2010 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/20/us/politics/20koch.html}}</ref> Two works that have been especially influential upon Koch's philosophy are Ludwig Von Mises' ''Human Action'' and [[F. A. Harper]]'s ''Why Wages Rise''. After reading Harper's book, Koch became involved with Harper's [[Institute for Humane Studies]], of which he became a principal supporter. He has been on the board of IHS since 1966. Since the 1980s, IHS has been increasingly interested in aiding the careers of aspiring educators, journalists, and policy professionals with an interest in classical liberal thought. Among other projects, the IHS runs the Charles G. Koch Summer Fellow Program, which "has supported more than 900 students during eight-week internships at public policy organizations, both in D.C. and around the country."<ref name="philanthropy">{{cite web|last=Glassman|first=James|title=Market-Based Man|url=http://www.philanthropyroundtable.org/topic/excellence_in_philanthropy/market_based_man|access-date=March 16, 2012|work=Philanthropy Magazine|publisher=Philanthropy Roundtable}}</ref> In addition, almost 200 institutions of higher education in the U.S. are funded by the [[Charles G. Koch Foundation]]. What all the Koch-funded programs have in common is an interest in studying free societies with an eye to understanding the mechanisms behind the assumption that economic freedom benefits humanity.<ref name="philanthropy" />
 
In 1977 he co-founded the [[Cato Institute]] with [[Ed Crane (political activist)|Edward H. Crane]] and [[Murray Rothbard]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cato.org/pubs/papers/25th_annual_report.pdf |title=25 Years at Cato |access-date=2009-07-10}}</ref>
 
In 2008, Koch was included in ''[[Businessweek]]'''s list of top 50 American givers. Between 2004 and 2008, Koch gave $246 million, focusing on "libertarian causes, giving money for academic and public policy research and social welfare."<ref>{{cite web|title=The 50 Top American Givers|url=http://images.businessweek.com/ss/08/11/1124_biggest_givers/41.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081203023933/http://images.businessweek.com/ss/08/11/1124_biggest_givers/41.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 3, 2008|access-date=April 27, 2011|work=Bloomberg Businessweek}}</ref> Koch was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from [[George Mason University]] in recognition of his financial support "through scholarships, faculty recruitment, and research grants".<ref>[http://www.kochind.com/newsroom/news_stories_details.aspx?id=492 Charles Koch receives honorary degree from George Mason University] www.kochind.com. Retrieved April 2011.</ref>
 
In June 2019, the Charles Koch Foundation announced the foundation of anti-war think tank [[Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft]], cosponsored by George Soros' [[Open Society Foundations]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Kinzer|first=Stephen|date=June 30, 2019|title=In an astonishing turn, George Soros and Charles Koch team up to end US 'forever war' policy|work=[[The Boston Globe]]|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2019/06/30/soros-and-koch-brothers-team-end-forever-war-policy/WhyENwjhG0vfo9Um6Zl0JO/story.html|access-date=August 23, 2019}}</ref> He is a board member at the [[Mercatus Center]], a market-oriented research [[think tank]] at [[George Mason University]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Board of Directors – Mercatus|url=http://mercatus.org/all-people/1285|access-date=January 23, 2014|publisher=Mercatus Center at George Mason University}}</ref>
 
Koch's [[Philanthropy|philanthropic]] activities have focused on research, policy, and educational projects intended to advance free-market views. He has underwritten scholarships and financed the research of economists such as [[James M. Buchanan|James Buchanan]]<ref>{{Cite book |last=MacLean |first=Nancy |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/987376346 |title=Democracy in chains : the deep history of the radical right's stealth plan for America |date=2017 |isbn=978-1-101-98096-5 |location=New York |oclc=987376346}}</ref> and Friedrich Hayek. He has also "supported efforts to inspire at-risk young people to consider entrepreneurship, to teach American students the principles of limited government, and to connect recent graduates with market-oriented organizations, in an effort to launch their careers in public policy."<ref name="philanthropy" /> Koch has given money to support public policy research focused on "developing voluntary, market-based solutions to social problems."<ref name="cgkf-bio">{{cite web|date=February 2009|title=About Charles G. Koch|url=http://www.cgkfoundation.org/about/charles-g-koch/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101212065027/http://www.cgkfoundation.org/about/charles-g-koch|archive-date=December 12, 2010|access-date=December 12, 2010|publisher=[[Charles G. Koch Foundation]]}}</ref> He has given to the [[Bill of Rights Institute]], a non-profit group that educates teachers, students, and others about the [[United States Bill of Rights|Bill of Rights]].<ref name="cgkf-bio" /><ref name="mm-bofri">{{cite web|title=Bill of Rights Institute|url=http://mediamattersaction.org/transparency/organization/Bill_of_Rights_Institute|publisher=[[Media Matters for America]]}}</ref> He has also given to the [[Youth Entrepreneurs Kansas|Youth Entrepreneurs]], an organization that teaches business skills to at-risk youth in Kansas schools.<ref name="cgk-yek">{{cite web|title=Youth Entrepreneurs Kansas|url=http://www.kochfamilyfoundations.org/ProjectsYEK.asp|publisher=Charles G. Koch Foundation|access-date=December 12, 2010|archive-date=February 5, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110205181441/http://www.kochfamilyfoundations.org/ProjectsYEK.asp|url-status=dead}}</ref>
 
=== Climate change ===
Koch acknowledges [[anthropogenic climate change]], but opposes top-down government regulation as a solution. Rather, he favors bottom-up technological innovation from private entities, saying they can lower emissions while improving efficiency and lowering costs.<ref name=reason-interview>{{cite interview | url=https://reason.com/podcast/2020/11/25/charles-koch-and-brian-hooks-believe-in-people/ | last=Koch | first=Charles | interviewer=[[Nick Gillespie]] | title=Charles Koch and Brian Hooks: Believe in People | quote=And so for many years I've been saying it. Okay, the temperature's been rising for over a century now, and human activity has contributed to it. But the approach is wrong. This top-down approach which they are using supposedly around the world, and emissions keep rising. So it's not accomplishing. What does, what has accomplished and what will accomplish are innovations, bottom-up innovations that, for example, substitute natural gas for coal.... And we're working on inventing things that will do two things: not just have less emissions, but will be cheaper and more affordable rather than much more expensive and unreliable, which makes people's lives worse. | date=November 25, 2020 | access-date=November 27, 2020}} (36:37-38:00)</ref>
 
He has heavily funded organizations and politicians who oppose [[Environmental policy of the United States|environmental regulations]].<ref name=nytimes2017>{{Cite news|last1=Davenport|first1=Coral|last2=Lipton|first2=Eric|date=2017-06-03|title=How G.O.P. Leaders Came to View Climate Change as Fake Science|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/03/us/politics/republican-leaders-climate-change.html|access-date=2020-09-05|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Mayer|first=Jane|title="Kochland" Examines the Koch Brothers' Early, Crucial Role in Climate-Change Denial|url=https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/kochland-examines-how-the-koch-brothers-made-their-fortune-and-the-influence-it-bought|access-date=2020-09-05|magazine=The New Yorker|date=August 13, 2019|language=en-us}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last1=Goldenberg |first1=Suzanne |date=2012-02-15 |title=Leak exposes how Heartland Institute works to undermine climate science |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2012/feb/15/leak-exposes-heartland-institute-climate |access-date=2020-09-05 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=How Big Money in Politics Blocked U.S. Action on Climate Change|url=https://e360.yale.edu/features/how-big-money-in-politics-blocked-u-s-action-on-climate-change|access-date=2020-09-05|website=Yale E360|language=en-US}}</ref> A leaked 2012 fundraising plan indicated that the [[Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation]] contributed $25,000 in 2011 to the [[Heartland Institute]], an American [[Conservativism in the United States|conservative]] and [[Libertarianism in the United States|libertarian]] public policy think tank.<ref>{{cite news|title=Climate skeptic group works to reverse renewable energy mandates|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/climate-skeptic-group-works-to-reverse-renewable-energy-mandates/2012/11/24/124faaa0-3517-11e2-9cfa-e41bac906cc9_story.html|newspaper=Washington Post}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Gillis|first1=Justin|last2=Kaufman|first2=Leslie|date=February 15, 2012|title=Leak Offers Glimpse of Campaign Against Climate Science|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/16/science/earth/in-heartland-institute-leak-a-plan-to-discredit-climate-teaching.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=January 15, 2012|title=The Heartland Institute 2012 Fundraising Plan|url=http://www.desmogblog.com/sites/beta.desmogblog.com/files/(1-15-2012)%202012%20Fundraising%20Plan.pdf|publisher=[[The Heartland Institute]]|access-date=February 18, 2012|archive-date=February 17, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120217174214/http://www.desmogblog.com/sites/beta.desmogblog.com/files/(1-15-2012)%202012%20Fundraising%20Plan.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> Koch has also supported the [[Berkeley Earth Surface Temperature]] project, a scientific effort to compile an open database of the Earth's [[surface temperature record]]s.<ref>[http://www.berkeleyearth.org/donors BEST donors] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110403081408/http://berkeleyearth.org/donors|date=April 3, 2011}}, accessed 3/25/11</ref>
 
The [[Pacific Legal Foundation]], funded by Koch, has litigated against increased environmental regulation.<ref name="NABT">{{cite news|last=Ahmed|first=Nafeez|author-link=Nafeez Ahmed|date=9 October 2020|title=Climate Science Denial Network Behind Great Barrington Declaration|work=Byline Times|url=https://bylinetimes.com/2020/10/09/climate-science-denial-network-behind-great-barrington-declaration/|url-status=live|access-date=11 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201010075115/https://bylinetimes.com/2020/10/09/climate-science-denial-network-behind-great-barrington-declaration/|archive-date=10 October 2020}}</ref><ref name="Ahmed2">{{Cite news|author=Ahmed|first=Nafeez|author-link=Nafeez Ahmed|date=2020-10-03|title=Koch-Funded PR Agency Aided Great Barrington Declaration Sponsor|language=en|website=BylineTimes|url=https://bylinetimes.com/2020/10/13/koch-funded-pr-agency-aided-great-barrington-declaration-sponsor/|access-date=2020-10-13}}</ref> The [[American Enterprise Institute]] received $2.1 million over two decades from the Charles Koch Foundation for its [[climate change denial]]ist activities.<ref name="NABT" /><ref name="Ahmed2" /> Together with [[ExxonMobil]]'s, Koch's wealth was also supplied to the [[Independent Institute]], another think-tank known for lobby in favor of climate change denial.<ref name="NABT" /><ref name="Ahmed2" /> Koch has also given money to the [[American Institute for Economic Research]], a right-wing libertarian think tank which also lobbies against climate science.<ref name="NABT" /><ref name="Ahmed2" /> Koch-backed [[Americans for Prosperity]] has fought efforts by the [[United States Environmental Protection Agency|Environmental Protection Agency]] to regulate carbon emissions.<ref name="Ramkumar">{{Cite news |last=Ramkumar |first=Amrith |date=2022-03-22 |title=WSJ News Exclusive {{!}} Koch Industries, Built on Oil, Bets Big on U.S. Batteries |language=en-US |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/koch-industries-built-on-oil-bets-big-on-u-s-batteries-11647946147 |access-date=2022-03-29 |issn=0099-9660}}</ref> The Republican [[First presidency of Donald Trump|Trump administration]] adopted [[Environmental policy of the Donald Trump administration|environmental policies]] similar to those advocated for by Koch-funded groups.<ref name=nytimes2017/> Koch has backed the [[Competitive Enterprise Institute]] and the [[CO2 Coalition]], both of which also supported former President [[Donald Trump]]’s 2017 withdrawal from the [[Paris Agreement|Paris climate agreement.]]<ref name="Ramkumar"/>
 
In 2022, Koch was named one of the US' top 'climate villains' by ''[[The Guardian]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-10-27 |title=The dirty dozen: meet America's top climate villains |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/oct/27/climate-crisis-villains-americas-dirty-dozen |access-date=2022-10-19 |website=the Guardian |language=en}}</ref>  As of 2023, his company has received awards from the EPA for three consecutive years.<ref>{{Cite web |last=McCoy |first=Daniel |date=March 28, 2023 |title=Koch Industries Inc. notches EPA Energy Star award for third straight year |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/wichita/news/2023/03/28/koch-epa-energy-star-third-consecutive-wichita.html |access-date=2023-06-29 |website=www.bizjournals.com}}</ref>
 
=== COVID-19 pandemic ===
Koch has also given money to the American Institute for Economic Research, the right-wing libertarian think tank which sponsored the [[Great Barrington Declaration]].<ref name="NABT" /><ref name="Ahmed2" /> His Charles Koch Foundation gave $68,100 in 2018.<ref name="NABT" /><ref name="Ahmed2" /> The declaration's sponsor employed [[John Papola#Emergent Order|Emergent Order]], a [[public relations]] firm which itself receives funding from Koch's Foundation, registered as $1.4 million between 2014 and 2019.<ref name="NABT" /><ref name="Ahmed2" />
 
=== Political campaigns ===
Koch supported his brother's candidacy for vice president on the Libertarian Party ticket in 1980.<ref name="covert">{{cite news|author=Jane Mayer|date=August 30, 2010|title=Covert Operations: The billionaire brothers who are waging a war against Obama|newspaper=[[The New Yorker]]|url=https://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/08/30/100830fa_fact_mayer|access-date=January 5, 2012}}</ref> After the bid, Koch told a reporter that conventional politics "tends to be a nasty, corrupting business ... I'm interested in advancing libertarian ideas".<ref name="covert" /> In addition to funding think tanks, Charles and David also support libertarian academics<ref>{{cite book|author=Brian Doherty|title=Radicals for Capitalism: A Freewheeling History of the Modern American Libertarian Movement|publisher=[[PublicAffairs]]|year=2008|isbn=978-1-58648-572-6|page=410|quote=One longtime Koch lieutenant characterized the overall strategy of Koch's libertarian funding over the years with both a theatrical metaphor and an Austrian capital theory one: Politicians, ultimately, are just actors playing out a script. The idea is, one gets better and quicker results aiming not at the actors but at the scriptwriters, to help supply the themes and words for the scripts—to try to influence the areas where policy ideas percolate from: academia and think tanks. Ideas, then, are the capital goods that go into building policy as a finished product—and there are insufficient libertarian capital goods at the top of the structure of production to build the policies libertarians demand.|author-link=Brian Doherty (journalist)}}</ref> and Koch funds the Charles G. Koch Summer Fellow Program through the [[Institute for Humane Studies]] which recruits and mentors young libertarians.<ref>{{cite web|title=Charles G. Koch Summer Fellow Program|url=http://www.theihs.org/node/456|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100830194048/http://www.theihs.org/node/456|archive-date=August 30, 2010|access-date=2010-09-10|publisher=[[Institute for Humane Studies at George Mason University]]|quote=The Charles G. Koch Summer Fellow Program combines a paid public policy internship with two career skills seminars and weekly policy lectures. You'll gain real-world experience, take a crash course in market-based policy analysis, and hone your professional skills. The intensive ten-week program begins in June and includes a $1,500 stipend and a housing allowance.}}</ref> Koch also organizes twice yearly meetings<ref name="Moore" /> of [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] donors.<ref name="Zernike" />
 
Koch supported the [[Tea Party movement]]. "The way it's grown, the passion, and the intensity, was beyond what I had anticipated," he told an interviewer.<ref name="Continetti" /> He funded groups opposed to Barack Obama's administration.<ref name="covert" />
 
In 2011, Koch was awarded the [[William E. Simon Prize for Philanthropic Leadership]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Winner of the 2011 William E. Simon Prize|url=http://www.philanthropyroundtable.org/topic/excellence_in_philanthropy/2011_william_e_simon_prize_for_philanthropic_leadership|work=philanthropyroundtable.org}}</ref> The award honors "the ideals and principles which guided [[William E. Simon]]'s giving, including personal responsibility, resourcefulness, volunteerism, scholarship, individual freedom, faith in God, and helping people to help themselves."<ref>{{cite web|title=2011 William E. Simon Prize|url=http://www.philanthropyroundtable.org/content.asp?contentid=815|access-date=April 29, 2011|work=Philanthropy Roundtable}}</ref>
 
In July 2015 Charles Koch and his brother were praised by President Obama and [[Van Jones|Anthony Van Jones]] for their bipartisan efforts to reform the criminal justice system.<ref>{{cite web|last=Nelson|first=Colleen Mccain; Fields, Gary|date=Jul 16, 2015|title=Obama, Koch Brothers in Unlikely Alliance to Overhaul Criminal Justice|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/obama-koch-brothers-in-unlikely-alliance-to-overhaul-criminal-justice-1437090737|work=Wall Street Journal}}</ref><ref name="wapos">{{cite news|last=Horwitz|first=Sari|date=Aug 15, 2015|title=Unlikely Allies|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/national/2015/08/15/clemency-the-issue-that-obama-and-the-koch-brothers-actually-agree-on/|newspaper=Washington Post}}</ref> For roughly a decade Koch has been advocating for several reforms within the prison system, including the reduction of recidivist criminals, easing the employment process for rehabilitated persons, and the defense of private property from [[Civil forfeiture in the United States|asset forfeiture]].<ref name="wapos" /><ref>{{cite web|author=Hudetz, Mary|date=October 15, 2015|title=Forfeiture reform aligns likes of billionaire Charles Koch, ACLU|url=http://cjonline.com/news/2015-10-15/forfeiture-reform-aligns-likes-billionaire-charles-koch-aclu|work=The Topeka Capital Journal}}</ref> Aligning with groups such as the [[ACLU]], the [[Center for American Progress]], [[Families Against Mandatory Minimums]], the [[Coalition for Public Safety]], and the [[John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation|MacArthur Foundation]], Koch believes the current system has unfairly targeted low-income and minority communities all while wasting substantial government resources.<ref name="wapos" />
 
In February 2016, Koch penned an opinion piece in ''The Washington Post'', where he said he agreed with presidential candidate [[Bernie Sanders]] about the unfairness of [[corporate welfare]] and [[Incarceration in the United States|mass incarceration in the United States]].<ref name="thisistheoneissue">{{cite news|last1=Koch|first1=Charles G.|date=February 18, 2016|title=Charles Koch: This is the one issue where Bernie Sanders is right|newspaper=The Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/charles-koch-this-is-the-one-issue-where-bernie-sanders-is-right/2016/02/18/cdd2c228-d5c1-11e5-be55-2cc3c1e4b76b_story.html|access-date=February 19, 2016}}</ref>
 
In 2020, Koch's Koch Industries donated $2.8 million to Republican Party causes through a [[political action committee]]. Koch Industries donated $221,000 to Democratic Party causes.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Marcus|first=Josh|date=2020-11-13|title='What a mess': Charles Koch says he regrets fueling partisanship|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/charles-koch-koch-brothers-trump-mess-b1722749.html|access-date=2020-11-17|website=[[The Independent]]|language=en}}</ref>
 
On November 13, 2020, reports in several media published statements made during an interview with ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'' by Koch about his regret that he had contributed significantly to the development of hyper-partisanship in the United States. Koch added that he intended to work with [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrats]], moderate Republicans, and liberals to facilitate [[bipartisanship]].<ref>Van Dyke, Tyler, ''[https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/what-a-mess-charles-koch-regrets-stoking-partisan-division 'What a mess!': Charles Koch regrets stoking partisan division]'', [[Washington Examiner|The Washington Examiner]], Friday, November 13, 2020</ref><ref>Powell, Tori B., ''[https://www.thedailybeast.com/billionaire-charles-koch-regrets-his-partisanship ‘What a Mess!’: Billionaire Charles Koch Regrets His Partisanship]'', [[The Daily Beast]], Friday, November 13, 2020</ref><ref>Marcus, Josh, ''[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/charles-koch-koch-brothers-trump-mess-b1722749.html ‘What a mess’: Billionaire Charles Koch says he regrets fueling partisanship]'', [[The Independent]], Friday, November 13, 2020</ref>
 
=== Sports and culture ===
In 2002, Koch Industries donated $6 million to renovate the Wichita State University basketball arena. The gift was given in honor of Koch, and the arena was subsequently renamed the [[Charles Koch Arena]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Charles Koch Arena|url=http://www.wichita.edu/thisis/buildingtour/?tour_sysid=15|access-date=May 22, 2013|publisher=Wichita State University|archive-date=March 5, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140305231419/http://www.wichita.edu/thisis/buildingtour/?tour_sysid=15|url-status=dead}}</ref> Koch has continued to be a major donor to both the university and [[Wichita State Shockers|its athletic program]]. In December 2014, Koch Industries and the Koch family foundation donated $11.25 million to the university, the largest one-time gift in school history, with $4.5 million of that going toward a plan to renovate the arena and expand the athletic program's academic support center.<ref>{{cite news|last=Wenzl|first=Roy|date=December 16, 2014|title=Koch gives $11.25 million to Wichita State|newspaper=[[The Wichita Eagle]]|url=http://www.kansas.com/news/special-reports/koch/article4517821.html|access-date=April 3, 2015}}</ref> Several months later, when [[Wichita State Shockers men's basketball|men's basketball]] head coach [[Gregg Marshall]] was considering an offer to become head coach at the [[Alabama Crimson Tide men's basketball|University of Alabama]], Koch led a group of local business leaders and [[Booster club|WSU boosters]] that raised Marshall's annual salary from $1.85 million to $3 million and kept him at the school. The raise was seen as an unprecedented move for a school outside the [[Power Five conferences]], and likely to make Marshall among the 10 highest-paid college basketball coaches.<ref>{{cite news|last=Suellentrop|first=Paul|date=April 2, 2015|title=Wichita State, community work together to keep Gregg Marshall|newspaper=[[The Wichita Eagle]]|url=http://www.kansas.com/sports/college/wichita-state/article17258015.html|access-date=April 3, 2015}}</ref>
 
Through the Koch Cultural Trust, founded by Charles wife, Elizabeth, the [[Koch family]] has provided financial support to promising artists in a variety of fields. More than $1.7 million in grants have been awarded to programs and individuals with Kansas roots.<ref name="KCT">{{cite web |title=History |url=http://www.kochculturaltrust.org/Hist.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120406102422/http://www.kochculturaltrust.org/Hist.html |archive-date=April 6, 2012 |access-date=April 3, 2012 |publisher=Koch Cultural Trust}}</ref>{{Primary source inline|date=December 2021}}
 
==Personal life==
Koch has been married to his wife Liz since 1972.<!-- Feb 2009 source says 37 years--><ref name="cgk-bio">{{cite web |url=https://www.charleskochfoundation.org/about-us/charles-g-koch/ |title=Charles G. Koch {{!}} Charles Koch Foundation |publisher=Charles G. Koch Foundation |access-date=August 23, 2019}}</ref> He has two children, [[Chase Koch]] and [[Elizabeth Koch (publisher)|Elizabeth Koch]].<ref name=covert/><ref name="Mr. Big">[https://www.forbes.com/global/2006/0313/024.html Mr. Big] Forbes.com. Retrieved November 2011.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nnp.org/nni/Publications/Dutch-American/kochc.htm|title=Koch, Charles (1935)|publisher=New Netherland Project|access-date=November 29, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101213104651/http://www.nnp.org/nni/Publications/Dutch-American/kochc.htm|archive-date=December 13, 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref> Charles and his three brothers have all suffered from [[prostate cancer]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ncrp.org/news-room/news-2008/122-a-personal-stake-in-giving/ |title=Donor aims to 'lick' illness that he has battled for 15 years |publisher=The Chronicle of Philanthropy |access-date=October 16, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120301211246/http://www.ncrp.org/news-room/news-2008/122-a-personal-stake-in-giving |archive-date=March 1, 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Koch "rarely grants media interviews and prefers to keep a low profile".<ref name=Greik/> ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine included Charles and David Koch among the most influential people of 2011. According to the magazine, the list includes "activists, reformers and researchers, heads of state and captains of industry." The article describes the brothers' commitment to free-market principles, the growth and development of their business, and their support for [[Tea Party movement|Tea Party]] organizations and political candidates.<ref name=time>{{cite magazine|last=Ferguson|first=Andrew|title=The 2011 Time 100 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110425093926/https://time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2066367_2066369_2066324,00.html |url=http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2066367_2066369_2066324,00.html|magazine=Time|access-date=April 22, 2011 |date=April 21, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 25, 2011}}</ref> Koch lives in Wichita, Kansas,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.charleskochinstitute.org/about-us/charles-g-koch/|title=Charles G. Koch {{!}} Charles Koch Institute|work=Charles Koch Institute|access-date=2018-05-05|archive-date=May 6, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180506035908/https://www.charleskochinstitute.org/about-us/charles-g-koch/|url-status=dead}}</ref> and has homes in [[Indian Wells, California]],<ref>{{cite web|last1=Robinson|first1=Peter |author-link1=Peter Robinson (speechwriter)|title=Good Profit Part I|url=http://www.hoover.org/research/good-profit-part-1|website=Uncomomn Knowledge|publisher=[[Hoover Institution]]|date=April 14, 2016|quote=Video Interview, recorded March 18, 2016}}</ref> and Aspen, [[Colorado]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.aspenjournalism.org/2012/04/02/the-aspen-50-forbes-billionaires-in-pitkin-county/|title=The Aspen 50 – Forbes billionaires in Pitkin County|work=Aspen Journalism|access-date=2018-05-05|archive-date=June 12, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612162239/https://www.aspenjournalism.org/2012/04/02/the-aspen-50-forbes-billionaires-in-pitkin-county/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Koch is [[Irreligion|irreligious]].<ref>{{Cite news|last=McGurn|first=William|date=2017-10-02|title=The Morality of Charles Koch|language=en-US|work=The Wall Street Journal|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-morality-of-charles-koch-1506983981|access-date=2022-01-29|issn=0099-9660}}</ref>
 
==Awards==
Koch has received various awards and honors, including:
* Honorary Doctor of Science, from [[George Mason University]], for his continued support of the economics program at GMU<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2015/10/spreading-the-free-market-gospel/413239/|title=Spreading the Free-Market Gospel|last=Levinthal|first=Dave|work=The Atlantic|access-date=2017-03-09|language=en-US}}</ref>
* Honorary Doctor of Commerce from [[Washburn University]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.washburn.edu/about/files/honorary-degree.pdf|title=Honorary Degree Recipients and Degrees Conferred Honoris Causa|website=Washburn|access-date=March 9, 2017|archive-date=October 23, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211023195850/https://www.washburn.edu/about/files/honorary-degree.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* Honorary Doctor of Laws from [[Babson College]]<ref name="bloom">{{cite web|title=Charles G. Koch Executive Profile|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=127903&privcapId=127342|publisher=Bloomberg|access-date=February 27, 2018}}</ref>
* President's Medal from [[Wichita State University]] in 2004 <ref name="bloom" />
* The Adam Smith Award from the [[American Legislative Exchange Council]]<ref name="bloom" />
* The 1999 Directors' Award for Global Vision in Energy from the [[New York Mercantile Exchange]]<ref name="bloom" />
* The 1999 Governor's Arts Patrons Award from the Kansas Arts Commission<ref name="bloom" />
* The 2000 National Distinguished Service Award from [[The Tax Foundation]]<ref name="bloom" />
* The Spirit of Justice Award from [[The Heritage Foundation]]<ref name="bloom" />
* The Entrepreneurial Leadership Award from the [[National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship]]<ref name="bloom" />
* The Brotherhood/Sisterhood Award from the [[National Conference of Christians and Jews]]<ref name="bloom" />
* The Distinguished Citizen Award from the [[Boy Scouts of America]]<ref name="bloom" />
* The Free Enterprise Award from [[The Council for National Policy]]<ref name="bloom" />
* The Herman W. Lay Memorial Award from the [[Association of Private Enterprise Education]]<ref name="bloom" />
* The Distinguished Service Citation from the [[University of Kansas]]<ref name="bloom" />
* Honorary Life Member in the Washburn Law School Association<ref name="bloom" />
* The Distinguished Citizen Award from [[Kansas State University]]<ref name="bloom" />
* Induction into the Kansas Oil and Gas Hall of Fame<ref name="bloom" />
* Induction into the Wichita and Kansas Business Halls of Fame<ref name="bloom" />
* Spirit of Excellence Award from The Urban League of Wichita<ref name="bloom" />
* Outstanding Humanitarian Award from the Greater Wichita Chapter of the National Society of Fundraising Executives<ref name="bloom" />
* Wichita City Medallion<ref name="bloom" />
* Wichita State University Entrepreneur in Residence<ref name="bloom" />
* Wichita District Minority Small Business Advocate of the Year<ref name="bloom" />
* The Individual Recognition Award from the Wichita/Sedgwick County Arts and Humanities Council<ref name="bloom" />
* The Uncommon Citizen Award from the Wichita Chamber of Commerce<ref name="bloom" />
* The 2011 William E. Simon Prize for Philanthropic Leadership from the [[Philanthropy Roundtable]]
* The 2011 Defender of Justice award from the [[National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers]]<ref name=tAtl>{{cite web| last =Ball| first =Molly| title =Do the Koch Brothers Really Care About Criminal-Justice Reform?| work =The Atlantic| date =Mar 3, 2015| url =https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/03/do-the-koch-brothers-really-care-about-criminal-justice-reform/386615/}}</ref>
* In 2013, AdvisoryCloud ranked him number two on their Top Chief Executive List <ref>{{Cite web |title=2013 Top Private CEOs |url=https://www.advisorycloud.com/rankings/2013-top-private-company-ceos/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190423203832/https://www.advisorycloud.com/rankings/2013-top-private-company-ceos/ |archive-date=2019-04-23 |access-date=2024-03-14}}</ref>
* In 2022, [[Ellis Island Honors Society]] presented Charles Koch with the [[Ellis Island Medal of Honor]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=MEDALISTS |url=https://www.eihonors.org/medalists |access-date=2022-05-31 |website=ELLIS ISLAND HONORS SOCIETY |language=en-US}}</ref>
 
==See also==
* [[Charles Koch Institute]]
* ''[[The World's Billionaires]]''
* [[Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft]]
 
==References==
{{Reflist}}
 
== Further reading ==
* {{Cite book |last=Leonard, Christopher |year=2019 |title=Kochland: The Secret History of Koch Industries and Corporate Power in America |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8jqKDwAAQBAJ |location=New York |publisher=Simon & Schuster |isbn=9781476775388 |oclc=1110726946}}
 
==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20140910182300/http://www.kochind.com/newsroom/bios.aspx Profile] at Koch Industries
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20130528022945/http://cgkfoundation.org/ Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation]
* [http://www.philanthropyroundtable.org/topic/excellence_in_philanthropy/market_based_man Profile] at [[Philanthropy Roundtable]]
* [https://archive.today/20130126204003/http://www.influenceexplorer.com/individual/koch-charles/c1f4ccc06452407aa9e09a75915b4cff Political contributions] from ''Influence Explorer'' at the [[Sunlight Foundation]]
* [https://www.bloomberg.com/billionaires/profile/charles-koch Charles Koch] at [[Bloomberg L.P.]]
* {{cite web|last1=Robinson|first1=Peter |author-link1=Peter Robinson (speechwriter) |title=Good Profit Part II|url=http://www.hoover.org/research/good-profit-part-ii|website=Uncommon Knowledge|publisher=[[Hoover Institution]]|date=April 29, 2016|quote=Video Interview, recorded March 18, 2016}}
 
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{{US-bio-stubKoch Industries}}
{{Current U.S. Richest People}}
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[[Category{{DEFAULTSORT:1935 births|Koch, Charles]]}}
[[Category:Living1935 people|Koch, Charlesbirths]]
[[Category:ForbesLiving 400|Koch, Charlespeople]]
[[Category:Libertarians|Koch,20th-century CharlesAmerican businesspeople]]
[[Category:People21st-century fromAmerican Kansas|Koch, Charlesbusinesspeople]]
[[Category:The21st-century KochsAmerican writers]]
[[Category:People21st-century relatedAmerican tomale the Cato Institute|Koch, Charleswriters]]
[[Category:American billionaires]]
[[Category:American businesspeople in the oil industry]]
[[Category:American chief executives of energy companies]]
[[Category:American chief executives of manufacturing companies]]
[[Category:American libertarians]]
[[Category:American people of Dutch descent]]
[[Category:American people of German descent]]
[[Category:American philanthropists]]
[[Category:American political fundraisers]]
[[Category:Cato Institute people]]
[[Category:George Mason University people]]
[[Category:Kansas Republicans]]
[[Category:Koch family|Charles]]
[[Category:MIT School of Engineering alumni]]
[[Category:Mercatus Center]]
[[Category:People from Indian Wells, California]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from Wichita, Kansas]]
[[Category:Tea Party movement activists]]
[[Category:People named in the Paradise Papers]]
[[Category:Member of the Mont Pelerin Society]]
[[Category:Kansas Business Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:Massachusetts Institute of Technology alumni]]
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