7 Companies Owned by the Koch Brothers

Brothers Charles and David Koch became well-known for their libertarian and conservative politics. They were often portrayed as significant personalities that impacted elections and government decisions.

Their primary activities centered around running Koch Industries Inc. of which they owned over 80%. Koch Industries is a private company that has annual revenues topping $125 billion. The company isn’t a single business but rather a conglomerate of companies under one umbrella.

David Koch retired from all roles related to Koch Industries due to health reasons on June 5, 2018. He later died on Aug. 23, 2019.

Key Takeaways

• Koch companies collectively employ over 120,000 people in 60 countries and half are in the United States.
• The company owns subsidiaries that produce various goods such as resins, polymers, glass, oil pipelines, tissue paper, and robotics.
• Koch Industries controls some lesser-known companies as well, including Matador Cattle Company, the Koch Chemical Technology Group, Koch Disruptive Technologies, and Koch Minerals.
• Koch Ag and Energy Solutions operate three separate companies: Koch Energy, Koch Methanol, and Koch Fertilizer.
• Koch subsidiaries are also involved in investing, commodities trading, and ranching.

Koch Industries’ Revenue Growth

Koch Industries is not a publicly-traded company so some of its key financial information isn’t readily available to investors. The conglomerate has seen its value grow at a rate 16 times greater than that of the S&P 500 since 1960, however, per an SEC fact sheet.

The industries under the Koch umbrella are diverse, ranging from companies that deal with energy to spandex. Koch companies manufacture paper, process minerals, create fertilizers, and refined oil. Some of its subsidiaries are also involved in ranching, commodities trading, and investing.

1. Flint Hills Resources

Flint Hills offers petroleum products, gasoline, diesel fuels, jet fuels, and other oil products, as well as those related to polymers and other chemicals. The company’s ethanol plants have a combined production capacity of roughly 725 million gallons per year. The company also explores biofuels.

Flint Hills markets a variety of chemical applications, coatings, automotive parts, and asphalt and sells products on a worldwide basis, including the United States, Asia, Australia, Europe, South America, Central America, and New Zealand.

2. Georgia-Pacific

Koch Industries acquired Georgia Pacific on Dec. 23, 2005, for $21 billion. The company employs more than 30,000 people in over 150 locations. It’s based in Atlanta, Georgia but markets worldwide.

Originally known as Georgia Hardwood Lumber Co., Georgia-Pacific is a pulp and paper company that produces paper, tissue, toilet paper, and building products. The list of products also includes the well-known brands Quilted Northern Tissue, Brawny paper towels, and Dixie cups. Wallboard, napkins, boxes, paper dispensers, and pulp round out the company’s offerings.

3. Guardian Industries

Koch Industries completed its full acquisition of Guardian Industries on Feb. 1, 2017, after earlier buying a 44.5% stake in the company. Based in Michigan, Guardian Industries employs more than 14,000 people in 26 countries across five continents.

Think of Guardian Industries as a glass company. It manufactures glass for automobiles, building applications, fiberglass insulation, and coated glass for architectural needs. The company is also known for its research and development of applications for glass, such as energy-efficient windows.

4. INVISTA

Koch Industries acquired INVISTA for $4.2 billion, including assumption of debt and certain interests, in April 2004.

INVISTA is involved in fabrics, fibers, plastics, polymers, chemicals, and the licensing of technology. It makes spandex, resins, chemicals, and polymers and is a spinoff of DuPont. The company concentrates on textiles and owns numerous brands such as Lycra, Tactel, and Thermolite, as well as brands for outdoor gear, carpet (Stainmaster), and luggage.

The conglomerate merged the polymers subsidiary with its existing KoSa subsidiary to create a company under the INVISTA name when Koch Industries purchased INVISTA in 2004.

5. Molex

Koch Industries paid $7.2 billion to acquire Molex in Sept. 2013. Molex had about $3.6 billion in revenues for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2013.

Molex creates electronics to solve technical problems in electric cars, robotic surgery, and even the Mars Exploration Rover. The company is also involved in fiber optics, smartphones, and defense applications. With about 80 years of history, Molex has been a critical part of the development of some of the most prominent technologies, including the first cell phones, HDTVs, and car radios.

6. Koch Ag & Energy Solutions

The Koch Ag and Energy Solutions company operates three Koch Industries subsidiaries.

Koch Fertilizer manufactures and markets a wide variety of fertilizer products used in the agriculture industry and operates a global distribution network with terminals in North America, South America, and Europe.

Important

The annual revenues from Koch Industries are $125 billion, making it one of the biggest private companies in North America.

Koch Energy Services markets electricity and natural gas in North American markets. It uses its expertise in market analysis, purchasing, hedging, and energy logistics to provide comprehensive services to other companies.

Koch Methanol is a methanol supplier. It was originally established to fulfill the needs of Koch Industries subsidiaries but it now works with other companies as well.

What Was a Notable Political Move Made by the Kochs?

The Koch brothers and their network of nonprofits paid for almost 44,000 television spots in 2014 to take control of the U.S. Senate from Democrats. They were successful, according to the New York Times.

What Is the Most Successful Type of Business in 2024?

It’s not one in which Koch Industries is notably present. Forbes Advisor tags the cupcake business with this honor, particularly for beginning entrepreneurs who don’t have much capital to invest. The cake business is booming in 2024.

Is Koch Industries the Largest Private Company in the U.S.?

Koch Industries wasn’t the largest private U.S. company as of December 2023. Koch came in second with annual revenues of $125 billion-plus. First place went to Cargill with about $177 billion in annual revenues.

Cargill bills itself as a “family company providing food, ingredients, agricultural solutions, and industrial products that are vital for living.”

The Bottom Line

Koch Industries isn’t a single business. It holds a variety of smaller subsidiaries in addition to these major brands. They include Koch Engineered Solutions and Koch Minerals & Trading. Its Matador Cattle Company boasts 12,000 head of cattle on 380,000 acres.

Koch employed more than 120,000 people in 60 countries at last count.

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