Conservative Billionaire
David Koch Dead at 79 The philanthropist and activist died after a long battle
with prostate cancer, which he was diagnosed
with nearly three decades ago. Koch is best known for running the
multinational corporation Koch Industries
alongside his brother, Charles Koch. David stepped down from his role
in the business in June 2018,
due to his declining health. Charles Koch,
via statement Besides Koch Industries, David is also known for setting
up a large political network aimed at garnering
votes for Republican politicians. The non-profit he co-founded,
Americans for Prosperity, has spent over
$1 billion on past elections. Their support of affiliations who deny climate
change and oppose gun laws often makes
them a target of the Democrats. Socially, David's views were more liberal,
as he was a supporter of stem cell research, a
woman's right to choose and same-sex marriage. Besides political outreach, Koch also made large
donations to medical research and towards the
Lincoln Center and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.