Kochland
| Industry | Conglomerate (energy, commodities, manufacturing) |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1940s |
| Founder | Fred Koch |
Area served | Global |
Key people | Charles Koch (leader) |
| Products | Petroleum, commodities, manufacturing products |
Kochland: The Secret History of Koch Industries and Corporate Power in America is a 2019 publication by Christopher Leonard that explores the rise of Koch Industries into one of the globe’s largest privately held corporations.
Overview
Leonard traces the transformation of Koch Industries from a local pipeline operator into an extensive corporate empire wielding "a political-influence apparatus of exceptional scale." The initial part focuses on Charles Koch’s stewardship following the death of his father Fred in 1967, emphasizing the company’s expansion throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Under Charles Koch, the enterprise was strategically positioned to capitalize on fluctuations in petroleum markets, profiting regardless of whether oil prices increased or decreased. This section also addresses Koch’s forceful opposition to labor unions, internal family conflicts among the Koch siblings, and a significant challenge posed by the problematic 1996 purchase of Purina Mills, which was ultimately divested after five challenging years.
The subsequent section examines Koch’s growth into financial sectors during the 1990s and early 2000s, utilizing its commodity holdings and infrastructure to drive considerable earnings. It highlights the acquisition of Georgia-Pacific and Koch’s role in events connected to the 2000 California electricity crisis.
The concluding portion delves into Koch Industries’ numerous confrontations with regulatory authorities and how Charles Koch’s libertarian ideology motivated the company’s extensive campaign to undermine climate change science, establishing one of the most influential corporate lobbying efforts in history.
Critical reception
Kochland was met with broad critical praise. In The New Yorker, Jane Mayer described it as a “thoroughly researched and authoritative” account that elucidates how the Koch family accumulated wealth and shaped American climate policy debates. Bryan Burrough commended its impartial tone, noting Leonard presents the Kochs’ business maneuvers, acquisitions, tactics, and familial relations without bias. The book earned the J. Anthony Lukas Work-in-Progress Award in 2017 and was shortlisted for the Financial Times and McKinsey Business Book of the Year Award.