Charles Koch

Date of Birth:11.01.1935

Charles Koch - American entrepreneur, billionaire, and philanthropist, co-founder, chairman, and CEO of Koch Industries. In March 2017, he ranked eighth on Forbes' list of the world's richest people with an estimated net worth of $48.3 billion.

Place of Birth. Education. Born on November 1, 1935, in Wichita, Sedgwick, Kansas, USA. He was one of four sons of Clementine Mary (née Robinson) and Fred Chase Koch. Charles studied at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In 1957, he earned a bachelor's degree in general engineering, a master's degree in nuclear engineering in 1957, and a second master's degree in chemical engineering in 1960.

Business. After college, Koch began working at Arthur D Little, Inc. In 1961, he returned to Wichita to join his father's business, the Oil Island Oil & Refining Company. In 1967, he became the president of the company, which at the time was a medium-sized oil company. That same year, he renamed the firm to Koch Industries in honor of his father.

His brother David Koch was his co-founder and executive vice president of the company. The brothers inherited their father's business, Fred Koch, a pioneer in gasoline production, and expanded it by 2600 times compared to the initial values. Koch Industries now operates in a variety of business fields, from polymer production to environmental programs and livestock.

Status. According to Forbes, Koch Industries was the second-largest private company in the USA by revenue in 2010. Charles Koch ranked eighth on Forbes’ list of the world's richest people in March 2017 with an estimated net worth of $48.3 billion.

Koch is also heavily involved in charity and has written a book about his own business philosophy.

Political Sponsor. The Koch brothers are considered significant supporters of the conservative ideology within the Republican Party. In 2012 alone, they spent about $400 million to fight the re-election of Barack Obama as US president.

Awards. Time magazine included Charles and David Koch in the list of the most influential people in 2011.

Family. Koch has been married since 1972 and has two children, Chase Koch and Elizabeth Koch. Charles and his three brothers suffer from prostate cancer.

25.10.2023