Charles G. Koch
Charles G. Koch is one of the billionaire brothers who co-own Koch Industries, one of the largest privately-held companies in the world.[1] The New Yorker has described Charles Koch and his brother David Koch as "longtime libertarians who believe in drastically lower personal and corporate taxes, minimal social services for the needy, and much less oversight of industry—especially environmental regulation."[2] The Kochs have built and bankrolled a powerful network of foundations, think tanks, and politically active organizations that advance these beliefs in US politics.
Charles Koch has been chairman of the board and CEO of Koch Industries since 1967.[3] He has helped found a number of conservative organizations, including the Cato Institute, the Institute for Humane Studies, the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, the Bill of Rights Institute, and the Market-Based Management Institute. Forbes listed his net worth at $41.5 billion in July 2014, tied with his brother David as the sixth wealthiest person in the US.[4]
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Charles Koch is the right-wing billionaire owner of Koch Industries. As one of the richest people in the world, he is a key funder of the right-wing infrastructure, including the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and the State Policy Network (SPN). In SourceWatch, key articles on Charles Koch and his late brother David include: Koch Brothers, Americans for Prosperity, Stand Together Chamber of Commerce, Stand Together, Koch Family Foundations, Koch Universities, and I360. |
Contents
Background
updated background will be added here
News and Controversies
Opposition to Bailouts
In a 2011 Wall Street Journal op-ed, Charles Koch wrote that "government spending on business only aggravates the problem" and "businesses that fail to do so should be allowed to go bankrupt rather than be bailed out."[5]
Opposition to Obama Administration
In a 2014 Wall Street Journal op-ed, Koch wrote that the "fundamental concepts of dignity, respect, equality before the law and personal freedom are under attack by the nation's own government."[6] He criticized the Obama administration as holding the "central belief and fatal conceit" that people are "incapable" of running their own lives.
In a closed June 2011 strategy seminar, Charles Koch said: "We have Saddam Hussein...this is the mother of all wars" in what appeared to be a reference to President Obama and the 2012 elections.[7]
"Mostly False" Claim that EPA Called Koch Industries a "Model"
Koch claimed in a 2014 Wall Street Journal op-ed that the Environmental Protection Agency had commended Koch Industries for being a "model for other companies." PolitiFact rated this claim as "Mostly False," determining that "the statement contains an element of truth" but that "Koch Industries has a history with the EPA that was completely glossed over, and it includes multiple violations of rules."[8]
Philanthropy
Affiliations
Sourcewatch resources
External resources
- Bill Berkowitz, "Patron saints of right wing think tanks acquire Georgia Pacific Corp: Oil barons Charles and David Koch, two of the nation's worst environmental criminals, now control the country's largest privately held company", Working for Change, December 6, 2005.
Contact
References
- ↑ Forbes.com America's Largest Private Companies- Koch Industries, accessed July 2, 2014.
- ↑ Jane Mayer, "Covert Operations," New Yorker, August 30, 2010. Accessed July 2, 2014.
- ↑ Koch Industries, Charles Koch, organizational biography, accessed July 3, 2014.
- ↑ Forbes, Charles Koch, profile page, accessed July 3, 2014.
- ↑ Charles G. Koch, "Why Koch Industries Is Speaking Out," Wall Street Journal, March 1, 2011.
- ↑ Charles G. Koch, "Charles Koch: I'm Fighting to Restore a Free Society," Wall Street Journal, April 2, 2014.
- ↑ "Exclusive Audio: Inside the Koch Brothers' Secret Seminar" Mother Jones, Sep. 6, 2011.
- ↑ PolitiFact, "Has the EPA called Koch brothers businesses a 'model' company for a clean environment?," PolitiFact.com, April 2, 2014.
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