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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 about 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 over 50 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 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 commodities trading and investing.
Important
According to Forbes, the reported annual revenues from Koch Industries are $125 billion, making it one of the biggest private companies in North America.
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 three refinery plants have a combined production capacity of roughly 700 million gallons per year. Flint Hills markets a variety of chemical applications, coatings, and asphalt. The operations are located in Texas and the Midwest.
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 about 7,600 people in 24 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 June 2004.
INVISTA is involved in fabrics, fibers, plastics, polymers, chemicals, and the licensing of technology. It makes fabrics, resins, chemicals, and polymers and was a spinoff of DuPont. The company concentrates on textiles and owns the brand Cordura, which offers 16 different textiles.
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.
6. Koch Ag & Energy Solutions
The Koch Ag and Energy Solutions company operates four 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.
Fast Fact
The Internal Revenue Service filed a federal tax lien against Koch Fertilizer in May 2024 alleging that the company owes approximately $1.2 million in back taxes. Koch Industries has responded that the debt is a result of “regulatory uncertainty.”
Koch Energy Services markets 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 not only fulfills the needs of Koch Industries subsidiaries but it also works with other companies as well.
Koch Agronomic Services produces and markets various plant performance solutions, like crop nutrients, for the world’s top agriculture producers.
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 2025?
It’s not one in which Koch Industries is notably present. Forbes Advisor tags the cleaning business with this honor, particularly for beginning entrepreneurs who don’t have much capital to invest. The cleaning business is booming in 2025.
Is Koch Industries the Largest Private Company in the U.S.?
Koch Industries wasn’t the largest private U.S. company as of December 2024. Koch came in second with annual revenues of $125 billion-plus. First place went to Cargill with about $160 billion in annual revenues.
Cargill bills itself as a “family company providing food, ingredients, agricultural solutions, and industrial products to nourish the world in a safe, responsible and sustainable way.”
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 among many others.
Koch employed more than 120,000 people in more than 50 countries at last count.
