Plus: Charles Koch—the richest person in Kansas.

POPULATION: 2.9 MILLION 2016 GROSS STATE PRODUCT: $153 BILLION (0.2% GROWTH) GSP PER CAPITA: $52,715 (RANKS NO. 27 NATIONWIDE) NUMBER OF BILLIONAIRES: 2 RICHEST: CHARLES KOCH $53.2 BILLION

No matter how you feel about Charles Koch’s politics, you’re probably helping him grow richer. his Koch industries makes the paper towels (brawny) sitting on your counter, next to Koch napkins (vanity fair) and tissues (angel soft). You likely have Koch in other rooms, too, whether toilet paper (Quilted northern) or carpet (stainmaster).

Koch industries is a manufacturing and energy conglomerate with an estimated $100 billion in annual sales and 120,000plus employees. the wonkish Charles, 81, runs this workforce via so-called market based management, an incentive system that allows, say, middle managers to earn more bonuses by turning around a failing business than by gently steering one that’s performing adequately.

still, Charles is unquestionably better known for his politics than for his management philosophy, and he and brother David, 77, have become the aged poster boys for wealth’s undue influence in U.s. governance. they’ve found success funding groups that today form the core of conservative thinking in america, such as george mason University’s mercatus Center. but they’ve had less luck as kingmakers: mitt romney lost the presidency in 2012, and Charles once likened the republican now in the White house to a fatal disease.