David Koch
An industrial titan who, with his brother, transformed a family business into a global empire while bankrolling a powerful libertarian-conservative political network.
1940–2019 (age 79)·American businessman and philanthropist·Birthday: May 3·The Silent Generation
Biography
David Koch was one half of an unprecedented force in American industry and politics. Born in 1940, the son of a Kansas oil engineer, he earned degrees in chemical engineering from MIT before joining the family firm, Koch Industries, in 1970. Alongside his older brother Charles, he helped grow the company from a pipeline and refining operation into a sprawling conglomerate with interests in everything from chemicals to consumer goods. David served as an executive vice president and ran a key subsidiary. His wealth, however, became most visible through political philanthropy. He was a primary funder of Americans for Prosperity and a vast network of think tanks and advocacy groups that championed deregulation, lower taxes, and limited government, profoundly shaping the Republican Party for decades. In later life, his philanthropy turned toward cancer research and New York City cultural institutions, leaving a complex legacy of ideological conviction and civic donation.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
David was born in 1940, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When David Was Born
The biggest hits of 1940
#1 Movie
Fantasia
Best Picture
Rebecca
David's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1940Born
The Blitz: Germany bombs London
Gas: $0.18/galHome: $2,938Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I'll Never Smile Again" — Tommy DorseyBest Picture: Rebecca
1945Started school
WWII ends; atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $4,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Sentimental Journey" — Les Brown & Doris DayBest Picture: The Lost Weekend
1953Became a teenager
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1956Could drive
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1958Could vote
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1961Turned 21
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1970Turned 30
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1980Turned 40
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1990Turned 50
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
2000Turned 60
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 70
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2019Died at 79
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
Key Achievements
- Served as Executive Vice President of Koch Industries, helping grow it into one of the largest private companies in the world.
- Co-founded and was a major financial backer of the political advocacy group Americans for Prosperity.
- Pledged over $1.3 billion to medical research, cultural institutions, and education through his philanthropic foundation.
- Was the Libertarian Party's vice-presidential candidate in the 1980 election.
Did You Know?
He survived a plane crash in 1991 that killed 34 other people on board.
He donated $100 million to renovate the New York State Theater at Lincoln Center, which was renamed the David H. Koch Theater.
He and his brother Charles bought out their other two brothers, Frederick and William, in a contentious family battle in the 1980s.
He was a trained chemical engineer with bachelor's and master's degrees from MIT.
“I was brought up to believe in economic freedom, the concept that you create your own success.”
