# Joseph Bast

_American businessman_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/joseph-bast
Last updated: 2026-11-03

> Joseph Lee Bast is an American political activist. He is the former president and CEO of The Heartland Institute, an American nonprofit conservative and libertarian public policy think tank based in Arlington Heights, Illinois which advocates for climate change denialism. He retired as president and CEO in July 2017 when former Congressman Tim Huelskamp took over those roles in the organization. Huelskamp was followed as president at Heartland by Frank Lasee in 2019, and then James M. Taylor in 2020.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 22 January 1958 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q15429793#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Kimberly ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q15429793#P19))
- **Citizenship:** United States ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q15429793#P27))
- **Occupation:** business executive ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q15429793#P106))
- **Education:** University of Chicago ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q15429793#P69))
- **Positions held:** co-founder (since 1984); president (1984–2017) ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q15429793#P39))

## Questions

**When was Joseph Bast born?**  
Joseph Bast was born on 22 January 1958 in Kimberly.

**What positions has Joseph Bast held?**  
Positions held by Joseph Bast include: co-founder (since 1984); president (1984–2017).

**Where did Joseph Bast study?**  
Joseph Bast was educated at University of Chicago.

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## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Joseph Bast](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Bast) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q15429793](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q15429793) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Joseph Bast, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0).

## Cite this page

"Joseph Bast". DigiNepal. Last updated 3 November 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/joseph-bast. Retrieved 14 November 2026.