Jane Mayer's Dark Money is a meticulously researched and compelling exploration of the Koch brothers' influence on American politics, revealing their deep ties to extremist ideologies and their vast financial investments in shaping the political landscape. The book is an eye-opening account of how a few billionaires have managed to shift the political debate in the US.
Jane Mayer's Dark Money is a meticulously researched and compelling exploration of the Koch brothers' influence on American politics. The book delves into the origins of the Koch family fortune, which includes ties to both the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany, and how this wealth was used to fund extremist ideologies. Mayer's investigation reveals how the Kochs, along with other billionaires like Richard Scaife, have spent hundreds of millions of dollars to move their political ideas from the fringe to the center of American political life. The book is an eye-opening account of how a few billionaires have managed to shift the political debate in the US, from funding think tanks to supporting the Tea Party movement and influencing political campaigns. It's a chilling reminder of the power of money in politics and the lengths to which some will go to achieve their goals.
Quick quotes
The father of these famous rightwing billionaires was Fred Koch, who started his fortune with $500,000 received from Stalin for his assistance constructing 15 oil refineries in the Soviet Union in the 1930s.
The facility produced hundreds of thousands of gallons of high-octane fuel for the Luftwaffe, until it was destroyed by Allied bombs in 1944.
The Kochs and their allies have spent hundreds of millions to “move their political ideas from the fringe to the center of American political life”.