Chase Koch
Charles "Chase" Koch, son of American billionaire and prominent rightwing political operative Charles Koch, is an American businessman and a leading figure in the family's philanthropic activities. Chase founded the venture capital company Koch Disruptive Technologies in 2017 and has increasingly involved himself in his father's political activities.[1] Chase became executive vice president of Koch Inc in March 2023 and is set to inheriet his father's voting stock in the company upon his death, which will grant him 42% control.[2] Charles describes his son favorably, claiming: “He's a better leader than I am, and he's a much better originator. I mean, he goes to these meetings with all the top tech people in the world and develops relationships with them. He's just super at that”, reports Forbes.[2]
Contents
News and Controversies
Elsewhere Fest and Conference
Chase Koch partnered with the Wichita-based music collective Midtopia to put on the Elsewhere Fest and Conference in June 2024. Both local musicians and headliners including Killer Mike, Vince Staples, and Steve Aoki preformed at the event.[3] Chase posted about the festival on LinkedIn, claiming: "This groundbreaking festival isn't just about music; it's about creating a stronger, more vibrant community together."
According to festival organizer Jessie Hartke, Chase did "a lot more than just helping with funding," bringing his vision and concepts to the festival.[3] The influence of Chase Koch and his family is also evident in the list of conference panelists, which includes Colette Weintraub of Stand Together Music, Chad Houser, founder and CEO of Café Momentum, and Scott Strode, founder of The Phoenix. Both The Phoenix and Café Momentum receive funding from Charles Koch's Stand Together. The Kochs' involvement in the festival, along with the intentions of Stand Together Music, have been criticized as a ploy to promote their libertarian agenda.[4]
Cash Injection into Secret Non-Profit
In August 2022, the Center for Media and Democradcy reported that Chase Koch's non-profit, CCKC4, received a cash injection of $1.2 Billion dollars. Interestingly, for a non-profit, there is zero public or online presence. Lloyd Hitoshi Mayer, law professor at the University of Notre Dame Law School, notes “The $1.2 billion funding of CCKC4 makes it one of the largest section 501(c)(4) social welfare organizations and a potential major player in political and policy circles.”[5]
Chase Koch Admits to Homicide of 12-Year-Old Pedestrian
In December 1993, Chase Koch ran a red light, resulting in him striking and killing Zachary Seibert, a 12-year-old boy. Chase would later admit "to a charge of misdemeanor vehicular homicide in Sedgwick County juvenile court." Chase, 16 at the time, would later be sentenced in January to community service.[6]
Stand Together Music
Stand Together Music (STM) was founded by Chase Koch in 2020 and proclaims itself a "leading partner to musicians and those in the industry" that helps cultural influencers to "elevate and scale a new paradigm based on the principles of equal rights, openness, and human dignity." The "Areas of Impact" listed on the organization's website include addiction recovery, criminal justice, education, ending the war on drugs, and free speech and peace.[7]
Critics claim Stand Together Music “allows Koch and his allies to co-opt pop musicians, young music fans and other hard-to-reach constituencies into a conservative political movement whose ultimate aims include dismantling the government’s ability to regulate polluting corporations”, reports The Guardian.[4] Offical partners of STM include Machine Gun Kelly, the Chainsmokers, and Pitbull. Connor Gibson, who runs Grassrootbeer Investigations, claims that " these musicians are being used to launder the reputation of Koch Industries, whether they know it or not”.[4]
Affiliations
A full list of Chase Koch's affiliations can be found through relevant IRS forms:[8]
- Director, Knowledge And Progress Fund Inc
- Director, The Seminar Network Inc
- Director/Vice Chairman, Charles Koch Foundation
- Director/Vice Chairman, Charles Koch Foundation II
- Director/Vice Chairman, Charles Koch Institute
- Director/Chairman/President, Believe In People Inc
- Dir./Pres./Sec., Music C4 Inc
- Dir./Pres./Sec./Treas., Cckc4 Inc
- Dir./Pres./Sec./Treas., Chase Koch Foundation Inc
Articles and Resources
Related SourceWatch
- Connor Gibson, Koch Spending to Influence Policy and Politics Eclipses Charitable Giving, Exposed by CMD, August 12th, 2023.
- Connor Gibson, Charles Koch’s Shape-Shifting Influence Machine, Exposed by CMD, August 30th, 2022.
- Connor Gibson, Koch Network Uses National Philanthropic Trust to Conceal Transactions, Exposed by CMD, August 11th, 2022.
- Connor Gibson and Arn Pearson, Son of a Koch: $1.2 Billion Infusion Into Chase Koch’s Dark Money Group Suggests Political Ambitions, Exposed by CMD, August 9th, 2022.
- Don Wiener, Koch and Ryan Back Heavily Subsidized Startup Company, Exposed by CMD, August 25, 2021.
- Alex Kotch and David Armiak, The Koch Coup: Charles Koch’s Political Machine Bankrolled Senators Who Will Attempt to Steal Election for Trump Tomorrow, Exposed by CMD, January 5th, 2021.
References
- ↑ Tom Maloney and Tom Metcalf, The Machine David Koch Helped to Build ‘Will Endure’ After His Death, Bloomberg, August 23, 2019.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Matt Durot, Billionaire Charles Koch Shares His Secret Plan To Pass On His Fortune And Influence, Forbes, October 10, 2023.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Emily Christensen, A graffiti-covered music festival lands in downtown Wichita this weekend, The Shout, June 18, 2024.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Geoff Dembicki, Revealed: how top pop stars are used to ‘launder the reputation’ of Koch family, The Guardian, December 7, 2024.
- ↑ Connor Gibson and Arn Pearson, Son of a Koch: $1.2 Billion Infusion Into Chase Koch’s Dark Money Group Suggests Political Ambitions, ExposedbyCMD, August 9, 2022.
- ↑ Hurst Laviana, TEENAGER GETS SERVICE WORK, PROBATION KOCH STRUCK YOUNG BOY AFTER RUNNING RED LIGHT, The Wichita Eagle, January 12, 1994.
- ↑ Stand Together Music, Home, organizational website, accessed June, 2024.
- ↑ Nonprofit Explorer, ProPublica, accessed July, 2024.
