David Koch

David Koch, born on May 3, 1940, was a prominent American businessman, political activist, philanthropist, and chemical engineer. He joined Koch Industries, the second-largest privately held company in the United States, in 1970. By 1979, he had risen to the position of president of Koch Engineering, and in 1983, he became a co-owner of Koch Industries alongside his elder brother, Charles. Koch served as the executive vice president of the company until his retirement in 2018 due to health issues.

A staunch libertarian, Koch was the Libertarian candidate for Vice President of the United States in 1980 and played a significant role in financing the campaign. He founded Citizens for a Sound Economy and was known for his substantial donations to advocacy groups and political campaigns, predominantly supporting Republican causes. In 1984, he officially became a Republican and notably spent over one hundred million dollars in 2012 in an unsuccessful attempt to oppose the re-election of President Barack Obama.

Throughout his career, Koch amassed considerable wealth, ranking as the fourth-richest person in the United States in 2012 and the wealthiest resident of New York City in 2013. By June 2019, he was tied with his brother Charles as the eleventh-richest person in the world, with a fortune of fifty billion five hundred million dollars. His philanthropic efforts were significant, contributing to institutions such as the Lincoln Center, Sloan Kettering, NewYork–Presbyterian Hospital, and the Dinosaur Wing at the American Museum of Natural History. In recognition of his generosity, the New York State Theater at Lincoln Center was renamed the David H. Koch Theater in 2008 after he donated one hundred million dollars for its renovation.