Google “the Koch Brothers” and 4,640,000 “results” pop up.
The references are usually negative and driven by the mainstream media which often indicates that there are no differences between David H. Koch and brother Charles G. Koch.
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Liberal Sen. Bernie Sanders often rails against “the Koch brothers.” The New York Times refers to them as “the billionaire brothers known for supporting conservative causes.” And Rhode Island Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse has dubbed them “creepy billionaires.”
But while the duo join to promote libertarian and conservative policies, they are actually very different and lumping them together as some two-headed monster irks the brothers.
Charles Koch hits trade war: “If goods don’t cross borders soldiers will and we see that now in this trade war. It’s just creating more animosity and it could escalate.” https://t.co/dNW3BAsBaD pic.twitter.com/WJmR00PZmE
— Paul Bedard (@SecretsBedard) April 4, 2018
“It kind of makes where we’re not individuals, we’re kind of group think here, kind of brainless robots going down some predetermined trail or something,” said Charles Koch in an interview with the Washington Examiner.
“I mean, it’s bizarre,” he added.
While both have a major role in the operations of Koch Industries, the multinational firm based in Wichita, Kansas, they are remarkably individualistic. For one, Charles, 82, and CEO of the family business, lives in Kansas. David, 77, he firm’s vice president, lives in New York City. Charles is the historian and philosopher and admitted “nerd,” and David is the cosmopolitan politico.
Charles Koch joked that putting them together always as “the Koch Brothers” is “doing a disservice to David.”
He explained the differences. “David is much more political than I am,” he said. “David is a much better engineer than I am and is much more into the arts and social life. Obviously he’s got to be or he wouldn’t live in Manhattan. And David is much more into elective politics than I am,” said the older Koch.
“And I am more into philosophy. I have long been fascinated with understanding the principles in history of scientific and social progress and how to apply it. And that’s what turns me on. I’ve been called a nerd by many, but hey, I played rugby, so I’m not a total nerd,” he added.
Even how they spend money is different.
Charles, the chairman and CEO of Koch Industries, leans toward research and scholarship for his philanthropic giving, totaling $180 million in 2016 alone. His Charles Koch Foundation gave grants to professors conducting studies of criminal justice issues, graduate students working on dissertations, and undergrads interested in entrepreneurship. Koch has donated to programs at over 300 colleges and universities.
David Koch, who gave $77 million in 2016, poured $18 million into New York’s Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, part of is $150 million gift to create a new outpatient care facility. He gave $10 million – part of $100 million pledged in 2013 – to New York-Presbyterian Hospital for a multi-specialty treatment center scheduled to open in 2018. The chemical engineer also gave $5 million to the Smithsonian Institute.
“So we are quite different people,” said Charles Koch. “We’ve learned to get along and each contributes to the success of our company each in our own way, and that’s as it should be.”
But he understands why the attackers like to dump them together.
“Well we certainly threaten vested interests from all sides,” said Charles. “I mean Fox News has been criticizing me for being for free trade now that Trump isn’t. I’m getting it from all sides. But our policies on trade, well on all things, we take the long term view that if we want to succeed our success has to be good for people’s lives. We have to make a contribution or we don’t deserve our success and long term we won’t be successful.”
