Koch Industries is one of the largest privately-held companies in the United States, headquartered in Wichita, Kansas. The conglomerate operates across petroleum refining, chemicals, fertilizers, paper products (Georgia-Pacific), pollution control, ranching, and finance, with approximately 120,000 employees across more than 70 nations. The company was founded by Fred C. Koch in 1940 and is currently led by his son, Charles Koch, who serves as Chairman and CEO. Koch Industries is widely recognized as one of the most politically influential private corporations in American history, with a multi-decade record of conservative and libertarian political activity.
- Koch Industries and its affiliated PAC have contributed hundreds of millions of dollars to Republican candidates and conservative policy organizations over decades.
- OpenSecrets classifies Koch Industries as conservative, with 100 percent of independent expenditures going to Republican causes in the 2024 cycle.
- Charles Koch founded Americans for Prosperity, one of the largest conservative grassroots advocacy networks in the country.
- The Koch network is focused on free markets and limited government as its core policy agenda.
Public Political Activity
Koch Industries' political activity is among the most heavily documented of any private company in the United States, primarily through public FEC filings. According to OpenSecrets, Koch Industries-affiliated political contributions totaled approximately $49 million in the 2024 election cycle, with corporate lobbying expenditures of approximately $11.2 million.[1] Outside spending in the 2024 cycle through directly affiliated organizations was minimal at the company-name level, but the company contributes substantially to outside spending vehicles separately.
Koch Industries was the largest single corporate donor to Americans for Prosperity Action, the hybrid super PAC affiliated with the Koch advocacy network, contributing $40 million across the 2024 cycle (a $25 million donation in May 2023 followed by $25 million in July 2024).[2] Combined with funding from Stand Together Chamber of Commerce — another organization in the Koch network — AFP Action raised more than $157 million for 2024 federal elections.[2] According to OpenSecrets analysis, AFP Action's 2024 spending tripled its 2020 levels, with two-thirds of expenditures aimed at helping Republicans hold the U.S. House and retake the Senate.[3]
Notably, AFP Action's 2024 cycle spending included approximately $31 million backing Nikki Haley's Republican presidential primary campaign and approximately $10 million in attack ads opposing Donald Trump during the GOP primary, before the network ultimately consolidated behind Republican congressional efforts.[3] AFP Action did not spend any money supporting Democratic candidates in the 2024 cycle.[3]
Public Positions and Statements
Charles Koch founded Americans for Prosperity in 2004 alongside his late brother David Koch, building what became one of the largest grassroots conservative advocacy networks in the United States. The organization's stated policy priorities include reduced government spending, opposition to collective bargaining, curbing environmental and business regulations, support for the oil and gas industry, and support for free-market economic policy.
The Koch network's broader policy footprint extends through the Stand Together Chamber of Commerce, the Stand Together Foundation, the Charles Koch Foundation (which funds academic research on free-market economics, particularly at George Mason University and other universities), and the Cato Institute (a libertarian think tank Charles Koch co-founded in 1977).[4] The network has historically focused on long-term ideological infrastructure-building rather than single-cycle electoral wins.
Charles Koch has publicly distanced the Koch network from Donald Trump on multiple occasions, particularly on issues of immigration, trade tariffs, and government spending — areas where the libertarian-leaning Koch network differs from Trump-era populist Republicanism. The 2024 AFP Action support for Nikki Haley in the GOP primary reflected this ideological divergence within the broader Republican coalition.
Products and Services
Koch Industries is a conglomerate with limited direct-to-consumer presence. Most of its revenue comes from business-to-business operations across multiple industries:
- Petroleum refining and pipelines (Flint Hills Resources)
- Chemicals and polymers (Koch Specialty Solutions, Invista — fibers and intermediates)
- Pulp, paper, and consumer products (Georgia-Pacific, including brands like Brawny, Dixie, Quilted Northern, Angel Soft)
- Glass manufacturing (Guardian Industries)
- Fertilizers (Koch Ag & Energy Solutions)
- Pollution control technology (Koch Engineered Solutions)
- Pipeline and infrastructure services
- Ranching (Matador Cattle Company)
- Investment management (Koch Equity Development, Koch Disruptive Technologies)
For consumers, the most visible Koch-owned brands are Georgia-Pacific paper products: Brawny paper towels, Quilted Northern, Angel Soft, and Dixie cups and plates.
Founding and Ownership
Koch Industries was founded in 1940 by Fred C. Koch, an MIT-trained chemical engineer who developed an improved petroleum refining process.[5] The company has remained privately-owned by the Koch family since founding, which has allowed it to operate without the disclosure requirements of public companies and to make long-term strategic decisions without quarterly market pressure. Charles Koch has led the company since 1967. His brother David Koch served as Executive Vice President until his death in 2019. As of 2024, Forbes ranked Charles Koch as the 24th wealthiest individual globally, with a family net worth of approximately $67.8 billion.[2]
The company has historically been a target of organized boycott campaigns and political opposition, particularly from labor unions and progressive advocacy groups concerned about the Koch network's political influence. The company's defenders point to Charles Koch's libertarian philosophy as ideologically consistent rather than partisan, and to the network's funding of academic free-market research as evidence of intellectual rather than purely electoral motivations.
Where to Find Them
Koch Industries does not sell directly to consumers. Information about the company is available at the official corporate website. Consumer products from Georgia-Pacific (Brawny, Dixie, Quilted Northern, Angel Soft) are sold nationwide through grocery, drug, and big-box retail channels.
Footnotes
[1] OpenSecrets.org, "Koch Industries Summary," accessed April 28, 2026. https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/koch-industries/summary?id=d000000186
[2] Center for Media and Democracy / ExposedByCMD, "Koch Super PAC Shatters Its Election Spending Record," November 5, 2024. https://www.exposedbycmd.org/2024/11/05/koch-super-pac-shatters-its-election-spending-record/
[3] OpenSecrets.org News, "Koch Network Flagship Super PAC Pours Big Money Into 2024 Elections," August 2024. https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2024/08/koch-network-flagship-super-pac-pours-big-money-into-2024-elections/
[4] FactCheck.org, "Americans for Prosperity," January 2024. https://www.factcheck.org/2024/01/americans-for-prosperity-7/
[5] Follow The Money, "Follow the Money: Koch Industries," accessed April 28, 2026. https://www.followthemoney.org/research/blog/follow-the-money-koch-industries
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