Who Is David Koch? Get To Know About His Age, Early Life, Career, Net Worth, Earnings, Relationship, & Death

David Koch was an American businessman, politician, philanthropist, and chemical engineer. He is recognized as the former co-owner of the second-largest private company in the USA, Koch Industries with his brother, Charles Koch. He was also a Libertarian party’s vice-presidential candidate in the presidential candidate of 1980. He later became a Republican after breaking off from the party.  

David Koch's Early Life and Education

David Hamilton Koch was born on May 3, 1940, in Wichita, Kansas, to mother, Mary Clementine, and father, Fred Chase Koch, who was a chemical engineer. He had three brothers named Frederick R. Koch, Charles Koch, and Bill Koch who was his younger twin. 

As for education, David attended the prep school, Deerfield Academy and graduated in 1959. He then joined the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for his undergraduate and graduate studies. He finished his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in 1962 ad 1963 respectively. 

Death

David Koch died on August 23, 2019, at his house in Southampton, New York at the age of 79. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1992 and was only given a few years to live. Even after the best cancer treatments, it ultimately returned and caused his health to decline.

Regarding his death, his brother Charles wrote:

“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-of-the-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.”  

David is survived by his wife and his three children.

Age, Height, and Body Statistics

• Age: 79 years old (at the time of his death)
• Height: 6 feet 5 inches (196 cm) similar to Pablo Schreiber and Dwayne Johnson.
• Eye Color: Greyish Blue
• Hair Color: Grey

Net Worth, Earnings, Career

According to Forbes, businessman, politician, and philanthropist, David Koch had a net worth of staggering $42.5 billion during his time of death. He amassed his wealth mainly from his stake in the Koch Industries which has a revenue of over $110 billion. 

He was even ranked 18th richest person in the world with his brother, Charles Koch by Forbes. He was said to earn his yearly salary in billions. 

Career

David joined the Koch Industries in 1970 as a technical services manager under his brother, Charles. After working for several years, he founded the company’s New York Branch and became the president of his own division, Koch Engineering which was later renamed to the Chemical Technology Group. 

He retired from Koch Industries on June 5, 2018, due to his cancer.

David was also the Libertarian party’s vice-presidential candidate in the presidential candidate of 1980. He left the party and became a republican in 1984 after they supported all tax elimination. 

Koch was also a philanthropist. He established the David H. Koch Charitable Foundation and was even named the world’s top philanthropist by Chronicle of Philanthropy in early 2006. Between 1998 and 2012, David donated over $395 million to medical research causes and institutions for the cure of cancer.

Other than medical research, he also contributed to art preservation, education development, and prison reform.  

Personal Life: Marriage, Kids, Crash

David Koch was married to Julia Flesher from 1996. They had three children: a daughter, Mary Julia Koch and sons, David Koch Jr. and John Mark Koch. 

Koch was married to Flesher for twenty three years before his death in 2019.

Crash

Koch was also in an airplane crash on February 1991. He was the survivor of the collision between USAir Flight 1493 and another aircraft on the runway which killed 35 people.   

Quick Facts About David Koch

Who was David Koch?

David Koch was an American businessman, politician, philanthropist, and chemical engineer known as the former co-owner of the second-largest private company in the USA, Koch Industries.

How tall was he?

He had a height of 6 feet 5 inches (196 cm).

What was his net worth?

He was worth $42.5 billion at the time of his death.