Influential Billionaire David Koch Dies

[Zurkerx]

The title says it all: David Koch has died. For those that are unaware of him, he was heavily involved in the family run business known as Koch Industries; he was the Vice President of the company. He retired from the company back in 2018 due to health issues. Back in the 90s, he was diagnosed with Prostate Cancer, which kept coming back. This led him to donate millions to medical research, surely a noble thing. That's thanks to his $48 billion dollar net worth, the 11th highest in the world.

He would be most remembered for a few things: his philanthropy for giving to medical research, the arts, establishing the David H. Koch Charitable Foundation, education donations, and prison reform.

But the biggest was his political views; he ran as the Vice President Nominee on the Libertarian Ticket with Ed Clark back in 1980, where they earned one percent of the vote, the most at the time for the Libertarian Party. He considered himself socially liberal and fiscally conservative, basically a Libertarian. But using his net worth, he and his brother Charles Koch would build one of the biggest and influential political networks in America, donating to Libertarian and Republican causes, ranging from free trade, low taxes, fighting to protect former Governor Scott Walker from a recall, and supportive of CATO.

In recent years, they have slowly pulled back from the political realm, donating less and less to political causes. In particular, this increased when Trump became the nominee, an individual they viewed as a danger to the conservative and libertarian movements. Their pullback from politics and waning influence means that this once powerful network is slowly dissipating, leaving a possible void that is bound to be filled by someone else.

So, NationStates. What's your view on this man? Was he good or bad? To me, I was supportive of him given he politically aligned with me on many issues though I wasn't a fan of all that money in politics and his influence is quite scary. Of course, building one of the biggest political networks has drawn praise and criticism, but whether love him or hate him, he (along with his brother), have helped shaped American Politics in one shape or form. May he rest in peace.

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/08/23/billion ... -dies.html
https://www.wsj.com/articles/billionair ... 1566563837
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/da ... 9-n1045696

Edit: added their slow withdrawal of politics/opposition to Trump.

[Jean-Paul Sartre]

Trying to think up a post that doesn’t go afoul of the celebrating death rule.

[Kowani]

…I think I’m going to avoid posting in this thread.

[Ifreann]

A shame he didn't live long enough to see his wealth seized.

Oh well, there's always his brother.

[Uiiop]

Along with the whole "Money in politics" things in my eyes whatever good causes he supported he also supported both separate bad things and people who undermined the good things.
To a certain extent that's the cost of doing business i'd suppose. I just think Koch went beyond that extent.

I'm not throwing a party after this mind but don't buy into the hagiography.

[Zurkerx]

…I think I’m going to avoid posting in this thread.

Boi, why did you post then

A shame he didn't live long enough to see his wealth seized.

Oh well, there's always his brother.

If you think about it: his brother's wealth may go to him so double the amount, unless he has most of his wealth going to different organizations, in that case, there'll be no wealth seized

Along with the whole "Money in politics" things in my eyes whatever good causes he supported he also both separate bad things and people who undermined the good things.
To a certain extent that's the cost of doing business i'd suppose. I just think Koch went beyond that extent.

I'm not throwing a party after this mind but don't buy into the hagiography.

I tried to paint as a non-bias picture as possible: just listing his accomplishments and then allowing people to decide for themselves. I try to be fair as possible and I respect everyone's opinion here, as long as they're not wishing death/cheering.

[Ifreann]

A shame he didn't live long enough to see his wealth seized.

Oh well, there's always his brother.

If you think about it: his brother's wealth may go to him so double the amount, unless he has most of his wealth going to different organizations, in that case, there'll be no wealth seized

I imagine that his money will go to his family, primarily. That, or he'll be buried with his billions, in the style of the Pharaohs.

[Uiiop]

Along with the whole "Money in politics" things in my eyes whatever good causes he supported he also both separate bad things and people who undermined the good things.
To a certain extent that's the cost of doing business i'd suppose. I just think Koch went beyond that extent.

I'm not throwing a party after this mind but don't buy into the hagiography.

I tried to paint as a non-bias picture as possible: just listing his accomplishments and then allowing people to decide for themselves. I try to be fair as possible and I respect everyone's opinion here, as long as they're not wishing death/cheering.

I respect that but bias is a hard thing to get rid of even if a product of how text is turned out rather than one's own per se.

[LiberNovusAmericae]

Not to sound callous, but I'm neutral here. I'm neither sad or happy about his death. There are things I liked about him (such as his anti-war stances and support for capitalism), and things I didn't (like cronyism that normally occurs with big money interests).

[Iwassoclose]

guy spent his fortune imo destroying and seeding humanitys downfall with destructive ideas

ding dong the witch is dead

[Tornado Queendom]

I don't mourn the dead, but I will remember David Koch. Remember: I normally un-person someone after they die, but Koch is an exception because I'm pro-trump.

[Nakena]

I am curious how much his donations to research yielded in medical progress in regard to cancer treatment.

[Lower Nubia]

Good.

[Ifreann]

I am curious how much his donations to research yielded in medical progress in regard to cancer treatment.

Evidently not enough for him.

[Arcturus Novus]

I think the kindest and least rules-breaking-y thing I can say is that he definitely had an impact on the world. I’m sure people will miss him.

[Ifreann]

I think the kindest and least rules-breaking-y thing I can say is that he definitely had an impact on the world. I’m sure people will miss him.

I imagine there are a lot of right-wingers looking at their budgets in horror as they subtract Koch's donations.

[Nakena]

I think the kindest and least rules-breaking-y thing I can say is that he definitely had an impact on the world. I’m sure people will miss him.

I imagine there are a lot of right-wingers looking at their budgets in horror as they subtract Koch's donations.

Yeah the secret cashouts to my offshore bank accounts have been dwindling since quite a time. The yacht tours in the caribbean have also been cancelled as of recently.

[Ifreann]

I imagine there are a lot of right-wingers looking at their budgets in horror as they subtract Koch's donations.

Yeah the secret cashouts to my offshore bank accounts have been dwindling since quite a time. The yacht tours in the caribbean have also been cancelled as of recently.

Makes me glad that George Soros has performed the necessary dark rituals to achieve immortality.

[Neko-koku]

Sad to hear that.

[Iwassoclose]

I think the kindest and least rules-breaking-y thing I can say is that he definitely had an impact on the world. I’m sure people will miss him.

I imagine there are a lot of right-wingers looking at their budgets in horror as they subtract Koch's donations.

lol his money is not going anywhere

[Nakena]

Yeah the secret cashouts to my offshore bank accounts have been dwindling since quite a time. The yacht tours in the caribbean have also been cancelled as of recently.

Makes me glad that George Soros has performed the necessary dark rituals to achieve immortality.

Can't argue with that.

But who said that I am not also getting shill-cash from Soros too? I enjoy playing both sides in their stupidity against each other out, and harvest the gains. Never put all the eggs in one basket, I tell ya!

I imagine there are a lot of right-wingers looking at their budgets in horror as they subtract Koch's donations.

lol his money is not going anywhere

Theres already replacement. Koch was more in the Bush years. Now you got the Mercers.

[The Emerald Legion]

Yeah the secret cashouts to my offshore bank accounts have been dwindling since quite a time. The yacht tours in the caribbean have also been cancelled as of recently.

Makes me glad that George Soros has performed the necessary dark rituals to achieve immortality.

Best not to count your Lichs before they've skeletonized.

[Lower Nubia]

Sad to hear that.

Ew.

[Iwassoclose]

Makes me glad that George Soros has performed the necessary dark rituals to achieve immortality.

Can't argue with that.

But who said that I am not also getting shill-cash from Soros too? I enjoy playing both sides in their stupidity against each other out, and harvest the gains. Never put all the eggs in one basket, I tell ya!

lol his money is not going anywhere

Theres already replacement. Koch was more in the Bush years. Now you got the Mercers.

mercer wealth is nowhere near kochs operation

[Gravlen]

Not everybody gets to see their dreams come true before they pass, and I guess he was lucky enough to die knowing he had made the world a worse place for those who come after.