# Charles Koch

_American billionaire and businessman_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/charles-koch
Last updated: 2026-10-31

> Charles de Ganahl Koch ( KOHK; born November 1, 1935) is an American businessman, engineer, and philanthropist. As of May 2025, he is ranked as the 22nd richest man in the world on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, with an estimated net worth of US$71.4 billion. Koch has been co-owner, chairman, and chief executive officer of Koch Industries since 1967, while his late brother David Koch was executive vice president. Charles and David each owned 42% of the conglomerate. The brothers inherited the business from their father, Fred C. Koch, then expanded the business. Koch Industries is the largest privately held company by revenue in the United States, according to Forbes.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 1 November 1935 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1066551#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Wichita ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1066551#P19))
- **Citizenship:** United States ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1066551#P27))
- **Occupation:** businessperson ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1066551#P106))
- **Political party:** Republican Party ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1066551#P102))
- **Education:** Massachusetts Institute of Technology ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1066551#P69))
- **Official website:** charleskoch.com ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1066551#P856))
- **Awards:** Giuseppe Motta Medal; William E. Simon Prize for Philanthropic Leadership ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1066551#P166))
- **X (Twitter):** charlesgkoch ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1066551#P2002))
- **Facebook:** OfficialCharlesKoch ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1066551#P2013))

## About

Koch supports a number of libertarian think tanks, including the Institute for Humane Studies, the Cato Institute, the Ayn Rand Institute, and the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. He also contributes to the Republican Party and candidates, and to libertarian groups, and various charitable and cultural institutions. He co-founded the Washington, D.C.–based Cato Institute. Along with his brother, Koch has been an important funder of think tanks that lobby to oppose environmental regulation. Koch has published four books detailing his business philosophy: Market Based Management (2006), The Science of Success (2007), Good Profit (2015), and Believe in People (2020).

## Questions

**When was Charles Koch born?**  
Charles Koch was born on 1 November 1935 in Wichita.

**Where did Charles Koch study?**  
Charles Koch was educated at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

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## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Charles Koch](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Koch) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q1066551](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1066551) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Charles Koch portrait (cropped).jpg by Gavin Peters (CC BY-SA 3.0)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Charles_Koch_portrait_(cropped).jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Charles Koch, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Charles Koch portrait (cropped).jpg — Gavin Peters, CC BY-SA 3.0.

## Cite this page

"Charles Koch". DigiNepal. Last updated 31 October 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/charles-koch. Retrieved 4 November 2026.