Before they attacked Obama, the Koch brothers almost destroyed each other. This is the untold story - 2014-05-20

Before they attacked Obama, the Koch brothers almost destroyed each other. This is the untold story May 20, 2014, Daniel Schulman, Mother Jones

---

Just as their father, a founding member of the John Birch Society, had once decried the country's descent toward communism during the Kennedy era, the brothers saw America veering toward socialism under President Obama. Charles, entering his late 70s, had not only failed to see American society transformed into his libertarian ideal; with this new administration, things seemed to be moving in the exact opposite direction. Now he and David, along with other allies, would wage what he described as the "mother of all wars" to defeat Obama and hand Republicans ironclad congressional majorities.

Yet for all the attention the Kochs—including the "other brothers," Frederick and Bill—have received, America knows little about who they really are. Charles and David have gained a reputation as cartoonish robber barons, powerful political puppeteers who with one hand choreographed the moves of Republican politicians and with the other commanded the tea party army. And like all caricatures, this one bears only a faint resemblance to reality.

As with America's other great dynasties, the Kochs' legacy (corporate, philanthropic, political, cultural) is far more expansive than most people realize, and it will be felt long into the future. Already, the four brothers have become some of the most influential, celebrated, and despised members of their generation. Understanding what shaped them, what drove them, and what set them upon one another requires traveling back to a time when the battles involved little more than a pair of boxing gloves.

Wikipedia cite:

{{cite news | first = Daniel | last = Schulman | title = Before they attacked Obama, the Koch brothers almost destroyed each other. This is the untold story | url = https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2014/05/koch-brothers-family-history-sons-of-wichita/ | work = Mother Jones | date = May 20, 2014 | accessdate = November 28, 2024 }}