Industrialist, philanthropist, political force; the younger Koch brother has left indelible mark on American life.
David Koch, the former executive vice president of Koch Industries, and a one-time vice presidential candidate, has died. He was 79 years old. The cause of death was not disclosed, but Koch had been battling prostate cancer for nearly three decades., largely due to his stake in Koch Industries, one of the largest private companies in the U.S. with more than $110 billion in revenues.
“Anyone who worked with David surely experienced his giant personality and passion for life,” Charles Koch said in a statement. “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.
After graduating from MIT with a bachelor’s and master’s in chemical engineering, Koch worked as a research and design engineer for Amicon and Arthur D. Little before moving to New York for a job with Scientific Design. A force in political circles, Koch was also a philanthropist, with a lifetime giving of over $1.3 billion. Over $700 million went to medical causes, including $207 million to the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center , $185 million to MIT , and over $100 million to the NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.
Much of Koch’s philanthropy came after a near-death experience in 1991 and his subsequent cancer diagnosis in 1992. On February 1, 1991, a USAir Boeing 737 carrying Koch and 88 others collided with another aircraft shortly after touching down in Los Angeles. The accident killed 34 people. Koch, who felt his way down the aisle and pried open the plane’s door, was the only survivor among the first class passengers.
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