Bill Koch

`Bill Koch, one of the world’s billionaire, is an American businessman, sailor, and collector. Likewise, Kock is famous as a President of Oxbow Corporation and Chairman of the Alliance To Protect Nantucket Sound.

Koch has an estimated net worth of $1.8 billion as of 2019, which he amassed from oil and other investments. Let’s get into the article to know more about Koch’s life, including his net worth and personal life.

Born as William Ingraham Koch

Bill Koch was born on May 3, 1940, in Wichita, Kansas. He is the son of  Fred C. Koch, a founder of Koch Industries and Mary Clementine, a business empire based on oil refining. Also, his Paternal grandfather Harry Koch was a Dutch Immigrant, who was the founder of Quanah Tribune-Chief newspaper and a founding shareholder of Quanah, Acme and Pacific Railway.

Bill attended Culver Military Academy in Culver, Indiana, and earned a bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in chemical engineering, all from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He has three brothers, and among them, David Koch was his twin brother, and the other two Frederick R. Koch and Charles Koch are his older brother.

 Bill Koch’s Career

Koch started his career from his family’s company as a consultant, where he and his eldest brother Frederick R. Koch had inherited Koch Industries stock. From that moment, Bill and Frederick try to take over the company, then the battle between brothers started and lasted around two decades.

After leaving Koch Industries, he opened up an energy development holding company named Oxbow Group, and soon, he became the founder and president of the company, which was built in West Palm Beach, Florida. Bill was also a collector of art and wine, he has collected cars like French Class America F1 – IACC F1, antique nautical instruments, and paintings of ships and seascapes.

Personal Life

Koch is married three times and divorced twice; his first marriage was with Joan Granlund, whom he had a son, Wyatt. Unfortunately, their marriage didn’t last long and turned into a divorce.

In, 1996 Koch was blessed with a daughter named Charlotte from his girlfriend, Marie Beard. Also, in the same year, Koch married Angela Browder Gauntt, that was his second marriage. The two had a long term relationship before they tied the knot.

Together the couple has a son named William Jr. and a daughter named Robin. On December 14, 2000, Koch ended up getting divorce with Gauntt, but the reason behind their separation is still a mystery.

The last among all finally in 2005, Koch married Bridget Ronney at a ceremony in Colorado. Bridget is the granddaughter of Art Rooney, who was the original owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers football franchise. From their marriage, they have one daughter named Kaitin.

Controversy

In 1995, Koch evicted her former lover, Catherine De Castelbajac, by filing a lawsuit against her. He evicts her from his $2.5 million condominiums at the Four Seasons Hotel in Boston. However, the lawsuit went through trial, and in the end, a jury sided with Koch’s favor.

Bill Koch’s Net Worth

According to Forbes, Bill Koch has a net worth of $1.8 billion as of April of 2019. Bill Koch has purchased much stock because he was known as a collector. Among them, the main things he has purchased are his houses and one of them is the $100 million Aspen Ranch.

Although, Bill Koch is a Billionaire he hasn’t show off his cars, yacht, and private jet. But one can guess that he may have spent a ransom amount on that stuff. In addition, he spent $68 million for a boat which won the America’s Cup back then in 1992.

Bill once purchased a 130 years old photo of the legendary outlaw Billy the kid for $3.2 million.

Koch even owned a $2.5 million condominium apartment at the Four Seasons Hotel in Boston. Even more, he purchased one of the powerful military tanks M24 Duster which is priceless.