Anyone involved in sailing, business, and collecting, must have heard of Bill Koch. Born as William Ingraham Koch, he is a multi-billionaire industrialist, connoisseur, and sailor from the United States. He comes from a wealthy American family with a significant sum of money.
While many people get engaged to learn about him because of his net worth and business endeavors, several also want to know about his personal life and children. Well, just like how Bill's professional career consists of ups and downs, his personal life consists of the same.
Hence, read more to find Bill Koch's personal life and career through this biography.
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Comes From An Influential Family
Bill was welcomed into this world by his mother, Mary Clementine Robinson, and his father, Fred C. Koch, on May 3, 1940, in Wichita, Kansas, U.S. His dad, Fred, is the founder of Koch Industries, a privately held international conglomerate firm headquartered in Wichita, Kansas. After Cargill, it is the second-largest privately held company in the United States.
Bill Koch is the son of Fred C. Koch, who is the founder of Koch Industries. Image Source: Social Media.
Bill's paternal grandfather, Harry Koch, was a Dutch immigrant and a founding shareholder of Quanah, Acme, and Pacific Railway and also founded the Quanah Tribune-Chief newspaper. Moreover, the businessman's maternal great-great-grandparents were an Episcopal bishop, William Ingraham Kip; politician William Burnet Kinney; and writer Elizabeth Clementine Stedman.
Similarly, Bill grew up alongside his twin brother, David Koch, who sadly passed away in 2019. His other brothers are Charles Koch and Frederick R. Koch. Unfortunately, Frederick also passed away in 2020.
Furthermore, talking about his educational background, Mr. Koch attended Culver Military Academy in Culver, Indiana. Later, Bill attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and earned a bachelor of arts/science degree and a doctorate degree in chemical engineering.
Bill Koch Net Worth And Career
The estimated net worth of this multibillionaire may not surprise everyone, but each source has a different take on the figures. According to the most current Forbes estimations, Koch is worth $1.6 billion. However, according to The Richest, this American businessman is worth over $3.04 billion.
Since he was engaged in his family's business, Bill and his oldest brother Frederick R. Koch had inherited stocks of Koch Industries. Therefore, most of Bill's wealth is derived from Koch Industries.
Moreover, he was let go by the organization after a failed attempt to succeed his brother, Charles Koch, as business president in 1980. Following that, Bill and his eldest brother Frederick sold their shares to their siblings David and Charles for $800 million.
Furthermore, Koch and Frederick allied with J. Howard Marshall II, at one time against their siblings, filed a lawsuit against the company. The dispute involving Charles and David continued for about 20 years.
Finally, after accusing the company of taking oil from the government and Native American lands, Bill settled in 2001. Koch Industries agreed to pay a $25 million settlement where he received 1/3rd as compensation for filing the complaint. All legal disputes between the brothers were resolved once they reached an agreement.
After quitting his family-run businesses, Bill founded and ran the Oxbow Group, a Florida-based company in West Palm Beach that principally functioned as an energy development holdings limited. Investment in oil increased Koch's riches and elevated him to the status of filthy wealthy businessman of his day.
Won Multi-Millions in Wine Counterfeit Lawsuit
Bill Koch has stockpiled about 43,000 bottles of wine. In a short Sotheby's YouTube video, he explained how his first interest in wine drinking and collecting evolved into a lifetime devotion. In the same video, Bill announced the auction of 20,000 wine bottles.
The Wichita native was also linked to lawsuits filed against other wine companies for selling counterfeit wines. Koch nearly spent $35 million on the fued, winning all lawsuits and earning $12 million.
Besides, William is a lavish art connoisseur who has collected several artifacts alongside wines. At a Denver auction in June 2011, he paid $2.3. million for a 130-year-old image of renowned criminal Billy the Kid.
In addition, throughout his life, Bill has made several donations and has been an active giver to many organizations that he is passionate about. The affluent businessman donated $5 million to the 'Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound.' Its primary goal is to prevent Cape breezes from moving forward by constructing wind turbines near Koch's Cape Cod home.
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Has Been Married Thrice In His Lifetime
The successful billionaire has faced many ups and downs in his personal life but still in the end he found his happily ever after. Initially, Bill was married to Joan Granlund in 1994; however, the former duo separated after some time.
Following the divorce, Bill married Angela Koch in November 1996. However, the former couple's wedding didn't last long, and they decided to end their four-year union in 2000. Bill's ex-wife filed for divorce, claiming he was abusive and had alcohol problems.
Soon, the businessman was taken into custody and charged with assault and domestic abuse. Following their divorce, Bill had to pay more than $16 million to end the marriage with his former wife.
Although his two marriages failed, in the end, the sailor found his forever in his third wife, Bridget Rooney. The duo has been married for over a decade and they exchanged wedding vows in a private ceremony in Colorado in 2005. Although Bridget and Koch's wedding details and dating history have yet to be revealed, there is no doubt that the duo found their person in each other and are following each other's lead.
Furthermore, Bill Koch's wife, Bridget Rooney Koch, is Art Rooney's granddaughter, the original owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers football team. All in all, they have an enduring and thriving marriage and we hope their love will be able to stand the test of time.
Father Of Five Children
With his first wife, Joan Granlund, the billionaire welcomed a son, Wyatt Koch. He is the founder of a fashion brand called Wyatt Ingraham and is a designer. However, Wyatt mostly created a buzz when he sued his ex-fiancee, Ivie Gabrielle Slocumb, for not returning back the $250,000 worth 8.24-carat engagement ring.
Similarly, with his second wife, Angela, the billionaire has welcomed a son, William Koch, and a daughter, Robin Koch. His kids from his former partner have grown up and are leading their lives.
Furthermore, with Bridget, he has welcomed a daughter, Kaitlin Koch. She was born in the mid-2000s, and little is known about her childhood and professional career.
Besides, with his former partner, the sailor has welcomed a girl child named Charlotte Koch.
Overall, Bill is a wonderful father, and he has been raising his kids with utmost love and care. He is always there to fund them financially and he makes sure that his kids lead a comfortable life. We hope the billionaire continues to achieve greater sucess physically and metaphysically even if he stays out of the spotlight.
Trivia And Facts
- Bill is not available on any social media platform.
- Koch's possessions were displayed at the Gallery of Fine Arts in Boston, such as the America 3 and the boat it bested.
- He sued his former partner, Catherine de Castelbajac, in 1995 to evict her from his $2.5 million condominium at the Four Seasons Hotel in Boston.
- Restore Our Future, a PAC formed to support Mitt Romney for President in 2012, received a $2 million donation from the Koch.
