David Koch Says His Philanthropy Dwarfs Political Spending

Billionaire industrialist and philanthropist David Koch discusses his cultural and medical giving and the controversy over his political activity in an interview with The Wichita Eagle.

Mr. Koch, who lives in New York and heads Wichita, Kan.-based Koch Industries with his brother, Charles, said he intends his hundreds of millions of dollars in giving for hospitals, scientific and medical research, and major cultural attractions such as Lincoln Center and the Metropolitan Museum of Art to represent his legacy.

David Koch said his more than $1.2-billion in philanthropy to date dwarfs his spending on politics, which he declined to quantify. The Koch brothers have been vilified by Democratic leaders for building a network of mostly nonprofit conservative groups that reportedly raised more than $400-million in the 2012 election cycle, and their policy organization Americans for Prosperity plans to spend $125-million on this year’s midterms.

“The world of politics, it’s a brutal battle,” Mr. Koch said. “You’re essentially at war, almost. People really want to say negative things about you, apparently.”