16. The Kochs
The United States’ most powerful dynasty is probably the Koch family. They own Koch Industries, America’s second biggest privately owned company with revenues of $125 billion in 2021. The Kochs have been politically active for decades, and are known as generous patrons of conservative and libertarian figures and causes. More recently, the brothers David and Charles Koch have headed a network of hundreds of libertarian and conservative candidates, policy groups, and think tanks. The rise of the fiscally conservative Tea Party movement owed much to Koch generosity. The dynasty’s power was so great that in 2011, House Speaker John Boehner turned to David Koch when he needed votes to prevent a government shutdown.
Climate change skeptics have received generous financial support from the Kochs. However, although staunchly libertarian and conservative, the Kochs have at times partnered with progressives. In 2015, for example, they worked with the American Civil Liberties Union on criminal justice reform, specifically on the issue of asset forfeiture. Given their track record, it is no surprise that the Kochs have been adamant opponents of communism and just about anything that has the least connection with socialism. However, as seen below, the Kochs did not let such aversion get in the way of making a dollar, as the dynasty’s founder worked for Joseph Stalin and helped him modernize the Soviet Union’s oil industry.
