Both Bill and David headed to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1958. Hiyo, David and Charles Koch! Its full-size buildings come with polished brass and carved-mahogany details and are fronted with board sidewalks and Bill Koch talks to members of the media inside the Society of the Four Arts in Palm Beach, Fla., earlier this year about his vast collection of American Western frontier memorabilia, which he is moving to Colorado. Hes also the brother of Charles and David Koch, the high-profile businessmen and bankrollers of conservative causes. His Western art and artifacts were on display at the Society of the Four Arts at the Palm Beach Museum in Palm, In an interview this past spring with arts blog the Fine Art Notebook, Koch noted that he would be moving the collection to the Centennial State and told the interviewer, I shouldnt tell you this, but I am building my own Western town in Colorado.. But here at the base of the Raggeds, among the golden aspen trees and rugged peaks of the Rocky Mountains, Bill Koch looked like any other cowboy out for a ride on an autumn day. Reader support helps sustain our work. Facebook, Follow us on Koch, 72, who made his fortune partly by developing underground coal deposits in Somerset, Colorado, is building the out-of-the-way oasis at his nearby Bear Ranch, a working cattle operation southwest of Aspen. Although his primary residence is in Palm Beach, Florida, where Oxbow is headquartered, one of Kochs many passions is Western history. Koch has offered to build a new trailhead and improved access to the Ragged Mountain Wilderness through the acquisition of Buck Creek Ranch, an old homestead. One of the lesser-known Koch brothers, he developed a private 19th-century village with a saloon, jail and train station in a region of the Rocky Mountains pockmarked with historic ghost towns. The Denver Post reports the town, located in Kebler Pass, has a saloon, church, jail and train. You may have an Old West play set, but billionaire Bill Koch has his own frontier town. To remedy the situation, and to offer their children the best possible education, his parents sent David and Bill away to different boarding schools; Bill went to Indianas Culver Military Academy. Dawn Ullrey, an avid horseback rider who has lived in Paonia for 53 years, and whose husband works for the Forest Service, was on the tour, as was Frank Mastrullo, who videotaped the outing. Ramon Reed, chairman of the planning commission, told the Post: 'It's the kind of stuff I guess you would expect a billionaire to construct. William Ingraham Koch ( / kok / KOHK; born May 3, 1940) is an American billionaire businessman, sailor, and collector. All things Colorado delivered straight to your inbox. His is an eclectic tribe. Kelley McMillan writes frequently for the New York Times and Outside magazine. But Bill Koch, the other billionaire Koch brother, has a different plan for his money. This is America. William Koch via Bloomberg. My father couldnt buy me honors at Culver. David now says hes the handsome one and Im the smart one. Although this swath of BLM open space is dotted with aspens and offers views of three 12,000-foot peaks, BLM land traditionally is at the bottom of the public-land food chain. It all gets back to trying to create a place where I can enjoy life and enjoy my family and friends without having to worry about my enemies. In 2001, after eight lawsuits, the brothers finally settled. His mother, while beautiful and charming, was focused on her social life, Koch says, and the boys were entrusted to nannies. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. Its full-size buildings come with polished brass and carved-mahogany details and are fronted with board sidewalks and underpinned by a water-treatment system. Koch has five biological children and one stepson, who range in age from six to 26, by four women (three wives and a girlfriend). Terms of Use | Privacy Policy. The youngest child was born to Koch and his current wife, Bridget Rooney Koch, granddaughter of Art Rooney, who founded the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1933. Forbes estimates his net worth at close to $4billion. In November, Oxbow, along with Aspen Skiing Company, Vessels Coal Gas Inc., and Holy Cross Energy, unveiled a coal-methane conversion plant that will convert methane from Oxbows Elk Creek Mine (methane is a byproduct of coal mining and a leading greenhouse gas) into electricity; the power generated through this project is roughly equal to Aspen Skiing Companys energy usage. Initially, some of the nations big oil-technology companies came after Koch, filing a patent lawsuit against him and all of his customerswho were small, independent refineriestemporarily ruining his business in the United States. This town is billionaire Bill Kochs fascination with the Old West rendered in bricks and mortar. Bill Koch is the brother of David and Charles Koch, two other billionaires who have made headlines in recent years for shoveling money to conservative causes, including the Tea Party movement. This fantasy, it would seem, is for Continue reading Billionaire Builds His Own Private . To build the town, Koch purchased Buckskin Joe, a former Colorado tourist attraction, uprooted it, and carted to his ranch. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. The Central Rockies Land Exchange, which has been approved by the Delta County and Gunnison County commissioners, must now go before the 113th Congress. Their father was keenly aware of moneys inherent paradox. Good for him. On a warm day this past September, Bill Koch rode on horseback through Bear Ranch, his 4,500-acre property located just outside of Paonia. We turned toward the barn, and the horses were skittish, sensing that we were heading home. Fried, whos worked for Oxbow for about 14 years, is mystified by Martensens alleged offenses. Solving climate change is going to be really hard, Schendler says. The next day, as we headed toward higher elevation on our horses, Kochs ranch unfurled below us, with views of the town and thousands of acres of grazing land for his 1,100 head of cattle. Recently, the mansion a home that will be the largest in Gunnison County made it through the planning process. Koch's project manager has told county officials that the enclave in the middle of the 6,400-acre Bear Ranch won't ever be open to the public. MAIL. The Denver Post reports the town, located in Kebler Pass, has a saloon, church, jail and train station among [.] The controversial businessman is building an Old West town near Paonia thats a full-scale reproduction of a 19th-century settlement. To support our nonprofit environmental journalism, please consider disabling your ad-blocker to allow ads on Grist. In an interview this past spring with arts blog the Fine Art Notebook, Koch noted that he would be moving the collection to the Centennial State and told the interviewer, I shouldnt tell you this, but I am building my own Western town in Colorado.. A locked gate with guards screens who comes and goes. But Bill Koch has mostly made waves for collecting rare wine, winning the Americas Cup sailing race and, most recently, buying up every bit of valuable Western memorabilia that comes up for sale. What I really like about the West, he says, is the stand-your-ground mentality and the idea that you have to take care of yourself, take care of your family, and take care of the people that surround you. It will be yours to do what you will. You want to see the brothel? Koch asked. He says his relocation to Asia was a part of a plan being implemented to evade paying taxes to the United States on profits in excess of $200,000,000 per year.. How to put profit back in the non-profit National Western Stock Show -- enough to keep it corralled in its current location? But is the town simply the project of an eccentric billionaire, or is there more to the story? Thats absolutely false, says Brad Goldstein, Oxbows spokesperson. We bought Buck Creek for access. He also disapproved of using company money to fund Charles and Davids libertarian causes: In 1977, the Kochs donated money to launch the Libertarian Cato Institute, and David Koch ran for vice president on the 1980 Libertarian Party ticket. Ultimately, Fried says, Martensen admitted to some of the alleged misdeeds, but not all of them. Martensen said no. The Denver Post says Koch built 50 buildings, including a jail, train station and, of . Koch's collection of more than 500 objects at the Society of the Four Arts in Palm Beach included this photo of a Wyoming Cowboy by J.C. Grabill, 1887. It's an unpopulated, faux Western town that might boggle the mind of anyone who ever had a playhouse. The federal government and private entitiesski resorts, developments, individualsexecute land exchanges all the time (typically more than 300 a year) to consolidate properties, and some observers have been surprised at the uproar Kochs swap ignited. The pastors smiled as they held the doors open, grabbing the hands of those who walked by and urging many to keep praying and to keep showing up. William "Bill" Koch, brother of Koch Industries CEO Charles Koch, is the founder of petroleum coke and sulphur products company Oxbow Corp. Koch says the governor would like Koch to host an exhibition of his Western collection at a museum in Denver and open the town to high-paying visitors and schoolchildren. Forbes estimates Kochs net worth at close to $4 billion. It sits on a 420-acre meadow on his Bear Ranch below the Raggeds Wilderness Area in Gunnison County. Grist is powered by WordPress VIP. The Denver Post reports the town, located in Kebler Pass, has a saloon, church, jail and. The controversial swap would give the government properties near Blue Mesa and in Dinosaur National Park in exchange for a public swath that cuts through his ranch. It sits on a 420-acre meadow on his Bear Ranch below the Raggeds Wilderness Area in Gunnison County. The town: Bill Koch's Wild West is being built on his 420-acre ranch located in the Raggeds Wilderness in Gunnison County, Colorado, Under construction: Crews are working to make Koch's private old West town on his sprawling Colorado ranch a reality. Murdaugh is heckled as he leaves court, Ken Bruce finishes his 30-year tenure as host of BBC Radio 2, Isabel Oakeshott clashes with Nick Robinson over Hancock texts, Alex Murdaugh unanimously found GUILTY of murder of wife and son, Dozens stuck in car park as staff refuses to open gate for woman, Missing hiker buried under snow forces arm out to wave to helicopter, Two Russian tanks annihilated with bombs by Ukrainian armed forces, Billionaire Bill Koch's new Colorado town is a private Old West marvel - The Denver Post, Collectors spark new interest in Old West artifacts after sale of Billy the Kid photo - The Denver Post, Do not sell or share my personal information. We headed into the Cattlemens Club, a bar theoretically for men only (theres a separate Spa-loon for the ladies, one of the only deviations from historical accuracy of the project, which Koch says he had to include in order to entice his wife to the remote property). Koch recently bought a wardrobe from a movie set, and future guests will be able to dress up in Western garb. Youre not alone. It has sculptures and paintings, but also artifacts, historic photos, and material objects drawn from daily life in the West. Forbes estimates Kochs net worth at close to $4 billion. All Rights Reserved, The Pacific Group. 1999-2023 Grist Magazine, Inc. All rights reserved. The town, which has yet to be named, is an authentic reproduction of a full-scale 19th-century settlement; its largely comprised of structures from a former MGM tourist attraction called Buckskin Joe, which Koch bought in 2010 and transported piece by piece to his ranch from its location outside of Caon City. YouTube, Follow us on As people get richer and richer, it gets harder and harder to think of cost-effective ways of spending the marginal dollar on amusing yourself. Relic: To build the town, Koch purchased Buckskin Joe, a former Colorado tourist attraction, uprooted it, and carted to his ranch, Closed for business: While Buckskin Joe was a popular tourist attraction, Koch will not open it to the public. (Ol' Romney's a pretty good ROI, huh boys?) For my own self-worth, I had to learn that.. Your support keeps our unbiased, nonprofit news free. Widow, 44, of late Louisiana Gov. Rebecca Schoenkopf is the owner, publisher, and editrix of Wonkette. It wasnt the first time Koch has laid down cold hard cash for some Wild West swag, and it was not the last. Another contention is that Koch purchased Buck Creek Ranch so the land could be used for a compressor station, a condenser station, or a pipeline. Here are some of the craziest things rich people do with their money: Part of HuffPost Business. Theyre playing a legal maneuvering game because they want the case to be held in San Francisco, which would be considerably more liberal than the court in Florida, Koch says. Koch has also all but legally adopted Rooney Kochs son, whom she had with actor Kevin Costner. Oxbows great success was figuring out that petroleum coke, a byproduct of producing gasoline, could actually be used, instead of discarded. I want to have a place for my family and extended family to keep us all together, he says. What I really want to do is create family compounds, so my sons will see each other and theyll have a reason, when they get older and they have their own families, for staying together. Hes sensitive to any hint of sibling rivalry or infighting among his children and is quick to punish them if he senses anytaking away iPhones, Facebook privileges, or grounding the teenagers. According to the society, other items of his . Design and build by Upstatement. When the group reached a point that overlooks Kochs ranch, they stopped to take in the view, and a chorus of anti-Koch rants began: Its by invitation only, one hiker said. Its full-size buildings come with polished brass and carved-mahogany details and are fronted with board sidewalks and underpinned by a water-treatment system. Ghosts, Koch said with a boyish chuckle. Another chimed in, A peasant like you isnt going to give him your few pennies and get in there. Marston added, People like us are never considered to be fully human by him., Ullrey, whos never met or worked for Koch, and does not have any family thats ever been employed by him, says, There is a lot of emotion involved in this, and the emotion is irrelevant. Ergo, he is just jealous. It sits on a 420-acre meadow on his Bear Ranch below the Raggeds Wilderness Area in Gunnison County. Here's How. Reed said they took into account that a third of the Koch mansion will be underground and it will be blocked by a hillside. But today, its still a work in progress: Just months ago, the Victorian houses on Main Street gleamed with freshly painted shades of pink, yellow, and blue. To hear him tell it, the brothel is haunted by the phantoms of unsatisfied customers. After his review, Martensen was driven to another part of the ranch, Crystal Meadows, to wait for the five other men who were being interviewed, three of whom lived in California like Martensen. On his way to Crystal Meadows, he was served termination papers and a lawsuit. It's like something out of a 'Gunsmoke' movie set. Its the kind of stuff I guess you would expect a billionaire to construct. Koch says he invited Martensenand five other executives thought to be involved in the schemeto the ranch for a corporate retreat in mid-March. Koch is trying to sew up more privacy at Bear Ranch through a land swap that brought his name into the public eye in Delta and Gunnison counties. He ties his horse up to the rail and thanks our wrangler for the ride. Koch instructed his team to ask to inspect Martensens bags to ensure that he wasnt stealing any company property. As one of the least protected categories of federal land, the government often leases BLM parcels to mining, drilling, timber, and grazing operations for profit. Bill Koch's 'Western Town' An Old West town re-created by billionaire William "Bill" Koch is seen near Paonia State Park in Colo., Aug. 22, 2012. But dont expect to move here or even to visit. Billionaires need to either plot schemes for world domination or else build replica towns at vast expense. They were to hold strategy meetings, and each executive was to undergo a 360-degree performance analysis. He leaves his spurs on. Forbes estimates his net worth at close to $4billion. As we wandered through the town, the lead historian on the project said, Its as if you are literally going back in time. When the lawsuit failed, he returned to the United States in the 1930s as a multimillionaire and a firm believer in free-market capitalism. Koch describes a childhood shaped by fierce sibling rivalries.