WICHITA, Kan. _ David Koch, who along with his brother Charles ran Koch Industries for decades and became a household name in American politics, has died.
Koch was 79. Koch Industries said in a statement he died "after many years of fighting various illnesses."
Koch was born in Wichita. He was an executive at Koch Industries until he retired in 2018 amid declining health.
Along with Charles, David Koch was very active politically, helping fund a variety of political advocacy groups. He was also a philanthropist, donating millions to the arts.
"I see in David many of the same wonderful qualities our father had. And one of particular note is his insatiable thirst for knowledge. It is what caused him to be one of the best I've ever seen at combining commercial and technical ability," Charles Koch said in a 2007 speech that Koch Industries quoted in announcing David's death.
