My selections though this list needs further paring down Just as Koch inherited his oil business from his father Americans for Prosperity borrows from the ultra right group also founded in part by his dad the John Birch Society Conceived by Robert Welch and a small group of conservative industrialists including Fred Koch David s father and the namesake of the family firm of Koch Industries the John Birch Society cloaked its pro business anti civil rights agenda in the rhetoric of the Cold War Cushioned with large donations from Koch and others the Birch Society helped propel Barry Goldwater to the Republican nomination in 1964 and helped Republicans make gains in the congressional midterms of 1966 Like Americans for Prosperity the John Birch Society rarely acknowledged its funding from the very rich Instead it depicted itself as a citizens group merely interested in American ideals of freedom Rather than argue the policy nuances of entitlement programs or new regulations the Birch Society marshaled opposition by depicting progressive reform as capitulation to the Soviet Union In that polarized environment the interests of millionaires suddenly became aligned with patriotic families who wanted to do their part against the communist threat Shortly after the Birch Society faded David Koch founded Americans for Prosperity in 1984 then known as Citizens for a Sound Economy author Berkowitz Bill location Oakland CA He was introduced to conservative politics by his father a member of the advisory council of the fiercely anti communist John Birch Society And Charles Koch at his father s request briefly joined the group Fred Koch was a founder of the John Birch Society a coven of anti communists and intellectual louts The Koch brothers success allows them to further their father s work They know well what money is how to make it and what it can do when focused on ruthless ideology David and Charles had absorbed their fathers conservative politics and adopted the John Birch Societies interest in a school of Austrian economists who promoted free market ideals They were particularly influenced by the work of Friedrich von Hayek the author of The Road to Serfdom 1944 which argued that centralized government planning led inexorably to totalitarianism For decades the Koch brothers billionaire heirs of one of the largest privately held companies in the United States have covertly sought to promote their hard right ideology through third parties think tanks foundations and front groups Their late father Fred having earned a fortune assisting the nascent Soviet oil industry eventually became a right wing extremist and member of the John Birch Society His sons especially David Koch have not only expanded the family business but infiltrated their father s political views into the mainstream cite news url title The Billionaire Right Winger date August 24 2010 agency New York Observer accessdate December 4 2012 author Conaso