David Koch, activist and billionaire philanthropist, dies at 79
David Koch, brother of Charles Koch and one of the owners of Koch Industries, the second-largest private company in the US, has died at 79.
According to the New York Times, Charles Koch announced the news of his brother’s death in a statement. Though he did not attribute to David’s death to a particular cause, he mentioned that David had battled prostate cancer in the past.
“It is with a heavy heart that I announce the passing of my brother David,” the statement reads. “Anyone who worked with David surely experienced his giant personality and passion for life. Twenty-seven years ago, David was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer and given a grim prognosis of a few years to live. David liked to say that a combination of brilliant doctors, state-ofthe-art medications and his own stubbornness kept the cancer at bay. We can all be grateful that it did, because he was able to touch so many more lives as a result.”
The Koch brothers were well-known throughout the nation for using their massive fortune to further their political interests, and are often credited with giving rise to the Tea Party movement and helping land Donald Trump the presidency in 2016 through monetary backing of organizations that furthered his agenda. Their efforts also helped fund the growth of issue-oriented political advertising in television.
The brothers have together denied that their political activism is self-serving and have distanced themselves from the Tea Party politically, insisting that they are upholding more traditional tenets of libertarianism. (RTRS)