David Hamilton Koch ( / ' k o? k /; born May 3, 1940) is an American businessman, philanthropist, political activist, and chemical engineer. He is a co-owner (with older brother Charles) and an executive vice president of Koch Industries, a conglomerate that is the second-largest privately held company in the U.S. [7] Koch is the second-richest resident of New York City as of 2010. [3] [4]
He is a major patron of the arts and a funder of conservative, liberal, and libertarian political causes, including funding the ACLU and groups involved with the American Tea Party movement. [3] [8] Among other charities, he has contributed to Lincoln Center, Sloan Kettering, a fertility clinic at New York-Presbyterian Hospital and the American Museum of Natural History's David H. Koch Dinosaur Wing. [9] The New York State Theater at Lincoln Center, home of the New York City Opera and New York City Ballet was renamed the David H. Koch Theater in 2008 following a gift of 100 million dollars for the renovation of the theater. Condé Nast Portfolio described him as "one of the most generous but low-key philanthropists in America". [10]
Philanthropy Since 2000, David H. Koch Charitable Foundation have pledged or contributed more than $750 million to further cancer research, enhance medical centers, support educational institutions, sustain arts and cultural institutions, and conduct public policy studies. [18] Since 2006, the Chronicle of Philanthropy has listed Koch as one of the world's top 50 philanthropists. [19]
Medical research In 1992, David Koch was diagnosed with prostate cancer. He underwent radiation, surgery, and hormone therapy, but the cancer returned every time. Koch believes his experience with cancer has encouraged him to fund medical research. He says, "once you get that disease and I've had it for 20 years almost, you become a crusader to try to cure the disease not only for yourself but for other people." [15]
Koch sits on the Board of Directors of the Prostate Cancer Foundation and has contributed $41 million to the Foundation, including $5 million to a collaborative project in the field of nanotechnology. [20] Koch is the eponym of the David H. Koch Chair of the Prostate Cancer Foundation, a position currently held by Dr. Jonathan Simons.
In 2007, he contributed $100 million to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to help fund the construction of a new 350,000-square-foot (33,000 m2) research and technology facility to serve as the home of the David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research. [21]
Arts In July 2008, Koch pledged $100 million over 10 years to renovate the New York State Theater in the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (now called the David H. Koch Theater), [27] and has pledged $10 million to renovate the outdoor fountains at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. [28]
Koch has been a trustee of the American Ballet Theater for 25 years [29] and has contributed more than $6 million to the theater. [30]
Education Koch contributed $7 million to the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) show Nova, [31] and is a contributor to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., including a $20 million gift to the American Museum of Natural History, creating the David H. Koch Dinosaur Wing and a contribution of $15 million to the National Museum of Natural History to create the new David H. Koch Hall of Human Origins, which opened on the museum's 100th anniversary of its location on the National Mall on March 17, 2010. [32]
Koch also financed the construction of Deerfield Academy's $68 million Koch Center for mathematics, science and technology, [33] and was named the first and only Lifetime Trustee. [33]
Koch gave $10 million to the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory [34] where he was honored with the Double Helix Medal for Corporate Leadership for supporting research that, "improves the health of people everywhere." [35]
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Soro's is a huge philanthropist. He is trying to do things to better society.
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