Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right
by Jane Mayer
By Mayer's count, 18 billionaires worth a combined $214 billion helped fund the opposition to the Obama administration. You follow the money, led by Charles and David Koch, through tax-deductible nonprofits that never have to name their donors and into think tanks, universities, courts and statehouses, which in her account tilted the country toward oligarchy.
Core ideas
- The seminars: Roughly 400 to 450 wealthy conservatives attend the Koch network's twice-yearly donor seminars, and a guest list left behind became a source.
- Interest as public good: The donors rebranded their own interests as serving the broader public, and the network planned $889 million for 2016.
- Old roots: The Koch fortune traces back to Fred Koch, who in the 1930s helped build an oil refinery in Nazi Germany.
Published2016
Pages464
ISBN9780307947901
ReadApr 2025
