TIME is reporting that Chase Koch is discretely taking over the philanthropic machine established by his father and uncle, focusing on long-term social change and results-driven initiatives. Koch emphasized a stewardship model for the family's wealth, aiming to convene like-minded donors focused on measurable impact rather than in-the-moment remedies.
Koch told TIME that his family's approach to social change is rooted in business principles, prioritizing return on investment, eliminating waste and continuous pivoting. He highlighted betting on individuals closest to problems, such as Scott Strode, founder of The Phoenix, an addiction recovery program. TIME said The Phoenix leverages community and exercise, achieving relapse rates below 10%, which Koch's Stand Together initiative has helped scale from a few thousand people in Colorado to a goal of 10 million.
The Koch family's network continues to be a significant player in the Republican Party, though it maintains distance from Donald Trump and his MAGA movement. Koch stated that political efforts constitute less than 10% of their overall community-based solutions, despite the network spending an estimated $550 million on the 2024 election cycle alone. He noted that policy is critical for removing barriers, citing school choice initiatives that have aided 28 states in the last five to six years. Koch said there will be a "very clear and high bar" for their political involvement going forward.
TIME reported that Charles Koch's personal giving has surpassed $2 billion, and he quietly transferred almost $6 billion in nonvoting shares of his companies to a libertarian network of nonprofits and social-change organizations now helmed by Chase Koch. The family's wealth is estimated at about $150 billion. Chase Koch's Key Change initiative and Believe in People organization have already generated over $400 million in projects, supporting more than 300 community organizations, 700 business leaders and 90,000 educators.