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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. When his father was around, he would stick up for young Bill, something that affected him deeply. It is simply for Kochs amusement and for that of his family and friends and historians. Rebecca Schoenkopf is the owner, publisher, and editrix of Wonkette. In February, the brothers famously announced that they were putting up $100million to boot President Obama out of the White House. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. 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. Koch will have a lot of room to keep his collections in Colorado. It sits on a 420-acre meadow on his Bear Ranch below the Raggeds Wilderness Area in Gunnison County. Whether he was discussing his own childhood or calling me en route to a sons basketball game, family was the prevailing theme of our conversations. Be kind and generous to one another and to your mother. Wild Bill Koch Builds a Private Town Out West 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. This town is billionaire Bill Koch's fascination with the Old West rendered in bricks and mortar. Koch tells a different version of the events. Koch instructed his team to ask to inspect Martensens bags to ensure that he wasnt stealing any company property. It has about 50 buildings, including a saloon, a church, a jail, a firehouse, a livery and a train station. The Local newsletter is your free, daily guide to life in Colorado. Bill Koch may have found the answer after building his own private Old West town in Colorado. Bill Koch, of the lets-destroy-the-world-for-profit-and-whatthehell-lets-take-out-democracy-while-were-at-it-lol Kochs, is building a town in Colorado. Grist is powered by WordPress VIP. Remember that often adversity is a blessing in disguise and certainly the greatest character builder. Billionaire Builds His Own Private Old West Town - The Inquisitr 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.. 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This town is billionaire Bill Kochs fascination with the Old West rendered in bricks and mortar. Hes obviously a driven guy, whether its business or sailboat racing or collecting wine or holding people accountable when theyve mistreated him. But is the town simply the project of an eccentric billionaire, or is there more to the story? Soon, it will have a mansion on a hill so the town's founder can look down on his creation. And Im doing it because I can., Wed spent the previous day strolling through the 70-odd buildings of the town, which is set in a pasture surrounded by Marcellina Mountain, the Anthracite Range, and the West Elk Mountains. Billionaire Bill Koch's new Colorado town is a private Old West marvel Its one of the best Western collections in the world. This town is billionaire Bill Koch's fascination with the Old West rendered in bricks and mortar. Kochs parents were largely absent. The compound will also include a 21,762-square-foot mansion with an elevator, a wine room and his-and-hers . document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); A nonprofit, independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future. And the town represents that.. Koch says Martensen and the other implicated executives had a scam going against us that cost us $40 million.. Billionaires need to either plot schemes for world domination or else build replica towns at vast expense. Of course, Bill Koch is not any other cowboy, and his land is not any other estate: Bear Ranch is at the center of a bitter dispute that has divided Paonias eclectic community of ranchers, miners, New Agers, and farmers for two years. After purchasing the photo last year, Koch told the Denver Post: 'I love the Old West. Edwin Edwards who died at 93 is set to marry his best friend - a 79-year-old former state Senate president: Exhumed last husband's remains against his kids' wishes, Tennessee Gov. At 72 years old, Koch is the founder, CEO, and president of Oxbow Carbon LLC, a global energy company, and one of the wealthiest men in the world, with a reported personal net worth of about $4 billion. Dateline: 7-11 Ranch Murder Near Billionaire Bill Koch's Old West Town Recently, the mansion a home that will be the largest in Gunnison County made it through the planning process. For a long time, I felt insecure and inadequate and wouldnt stand up for myself. Born in 1940 in Wichita, Kansas, Koch was the last of Mary and Frederick Chase Kochs four sons. Billionaire Bill Koch loves the Old West so much that he decided to build his own private town somewhere within the wilds of Colorado. Elk Mountain was formerly a high-end hunting lodge. It sits on a 420-acre meadow on his Bear Ranch below the Raggeds Wilderness Area in Gunnison County. There are streets made for carriages and several old-fashioned saloons, but the town is actually new. An Old West town re-created by billionaire William "Bill" Koch is seen near Paonia State Park in Colo., Aug. 22, 2012. Charles Koch, 87, has run the company since 1967. 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. Koch's town boasts its own water-treatment system and approximately 50 buildings including a. NEWS. Billionaire Koch building private Old West town | AspenTimes.com HOME. I visited with Koch, who rarely grants interviews, on multiple occasions, across several states, at four of his homes, and I was the first (and only, to this date) journalist to visit his Old West town. 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. I think I'll display it in a few small museums.'. 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. I always wanted my mothers affection but could never get it, he says. A new school in Ho Chi Minh City looks like a building-sized playhouse, complete with bright paint and whimsical, asymmetrical windows. Koch's designer and project manager agreed to tone down lighting so it will not shine into the Raggeds Wilderness. Martensen then took his case to California, where he filed his complaint this past autumn. Martensen had been the senior vice president of Oxbow Carbon & Minerals Internationals Asia division, based in Singapore. It has sculptures and paintings, but also artifacts, historic photos, and material objects drawn from daily life in the West. It is the ultimate repository for his huge collection of Western memorabilia. Its a big supplier of sulfur, sulfuric acid, and fertilizers. The brothel is more a work of art than a den of sin and one day will serve, innocuously, as guest quarters. It is no secret that energy magnate and collector Bill Koch is a fan of the old West, but the construction of this small town may be taking the obsession to a new level. It sits on a 420-acre meadow on his Bear Ranch below the Raggeds Wilderness Area in Gunnison County. You've requested a page on a website (cloudflarepreview.com) that is on the Cloudflare network. This is America. It wasnt the first time Koch has laid down cold hard cash for some Wild West swag, and it was not the last. He leaves his spurs on. Although his primary residence is in Palm Beach, Florida, where Oxbow is headquartered, one of Kochs many passions is Western history. It sits on a 420-acre meadow on his Bear Ranch below the Raggeds Wilderness Area in Gunnison County. This is largely because of a nondisparagement agreement in the brothers final settlement. Kochs designer and project manager agreed to tone down lighting so it wont be shining into the Raggeds Wilderness. 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. 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. Sign up today! Abortion clinics crossing state borders not always welcome Kansas-based Koch Industries restructures top management But don't expect to move here or even to visit. 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. Kochs project manager has told county officials that the enclave in the middle of the 6,400-acre Bear Ranch wont ever be open to the public. Dont get too excited, loser! He ties his horse up to the rail and thanks our wrangler for the ride. Follow us on For my own self-worth, I had to learn that.. 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. But they, and their two brothers, Bill and Frederick,. Koch recently bought a wardrobe from a movie set, and future guests will be able to dress up in Western garb. Fried asked if Martensen had ever heard of the company. But dont expect to move here or even to visit. This is her first piece for 5280. It has about 50 buildings, including a saloon, a church, a jail, a firehouse, a livery and a train station. It's an unpopulated, faux Western town that might boggle the mind of anyone who ever had a playhouse. But, more important, Marston believes the deal will rob Paonia of access to the Raggeds. The home is expected to come in at closer to 21,000 square feet in the final plans when one wing is removed. Bill Koch may have found the answer after building his own private Old West town in Colorado. 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. 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. The commission recently OK'd a 22,000-square-foot residence for Koch above the town that already has two buildings in excess of 11,000 square feet. To support our nonprofit environmental journalism, please consider disabling your ad-blocker to allow ads on Grist. Bill Koch could create a real Western heritage for Denver and the Stock It's an unpopulated, faux Western town that might boggle the mind of anyone who ever had a playhouse. But, removed from his brothers, Koch began to flourish. A robust picture emerges of what life was like in the West.. How to put profit back in the non-profit National Western Stock Show -- enough to keep it corralled in its current location? Instagram, Follow us on It could take years for either case to go to trial. As we wandered through the town, the lead historian on the project said, Its as if you are literally going back in time. Below Deck Meds Bugsy Flaunts Best Mermaid Impression In Hot Pink Bikini, BELOW DECK MEDITERRANEAN's Christine Bugsy Drake (Karolina Wojtasik/Bravo), 2012-2023, 2paragraphs Productions, LLC. 5280 Publishing, Inc. It's an unpopulated, faux Western town that might boggle the mind of anyone who ever had a playhouse. Its utterly bipartisan.. ', Collector: Koch, pictured in a 2012 photo, admits he's a big fan of the Western era. In May 2019, Jakes mother pleaded guilty to second-degree murder (she confessed to shooting him in the head while he slept) and received a 40-year sentence. Thats one of my goals in life: to make sure my kids get along, respect each other, and love each other., This past October, with the land exchange still in limbo, Koch turned up in the news yet again when former Oxbow executive Kirby Martensen filed a lawsuit in the Northern District of California alleging that Koch had kidnapped Martensen, imprisoned him, and held him against his will at Bear Ranch in March 2012. Twitter, Follow us on Hes also the brother of Charles and David Koch, the high-profile businessmen and bankrollers of conservative causes. Riding with him, and seeing him against this Western backdrop, it was easy to forget his colorful romantic history (hes been married three times and had a public falling-out with a mistress in 1995); his reputation for being litigious (hes been involved in 26 personal lawsuits); and his accomplishments as a sailor (he won the Americas Cup in 1992). An Old West town re-created by billionaire William "Bill" Koch is seen near Paonia State Park in Colo., Aug. 22, 2012. RHONY star's ex-husband lets slip she has a boyfriend named Bill - but friends say she's keeping 'hot and heavy' romance quiet while her beau finalizes his divorce, Ethics investigators say there's 'substantial reason to believe' AOC DID violate House rules by attending 2021 Met Gala on $35,000 comped ticket, 'Left-wing celebrity' Squad member accused of ethics violations: Cori Bush's secret marriage to security guard sparks watchdog to demand an FEC investigation, She has a type! Fried asked about Martensens dealings with a competing company that he was allegedly accepting kickbacks from. For locals, by locals. When he arrived, Koch was six feet one inch tall and weighed 120 pounds, and his peers teased him unmercifully for his gawky appearance. You guys are weird, but there is a method to your madness: you want to buy Wisconsin, and the presidency, and so you do. Everything from the ceilings to the accoutrements are period-specific. The streets widths are historically accuratewide enough so that a four-to-six-horse cart can turn aroundand are bordered by sidewalks at the perfect height for a rancher to load his cart. Shes also smart and very funny. Both Bill and David headed to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1958. YouTube. It's an unpopulated, faux Western town that might boggle the mind of anyone who ever had a playhouse. Oxbows great success was figuring out that petroleum coke, a byproduct of producing gasoline, could actually be used, instead of discarded. Koch swings his leg over the top of his mount and hops off. The club, which would have been a watering hole for affluent types in the late 1800s, has a mahogany bar with two female figures sculpted out of the wood that overlook the room. Soon, it will have a mansion on a hill so the towns founder can look down on his creation. Thats absolutely false, says Brad Goldstein, Oxbows spokesperson. Buckskin Joe's themepark [Wikipedia], This story is part of a group of stories called, The 8 most important principles of interior design. 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. And I am now very best friends with my brother David. Koch initiated the reconciliation with his twin by inviting him to his birthday party in 2001, and David served as the best man in Kochs 2005 wedding to his third wife, Bridget Rooney Koch. Reed said a third of the mansion will be underground and the building will be blocked by a hillside. It's an unpopulated, faux Western town that might boggle the mind of anyone who ever had a. Energy company founder Bill Koch went back in time, the billionaire built an entire town in the Old West. Koch has five biological children and one stepson, who range in age from six to 26, by four women (three wives and a girlfriend). In a dimly lit corner of the tack room, he places his leg on a trunk and, one by one, unzips his chaps. In fact, he has crammed part of a museum with his collections this year. His billionaire brothers, David and Charles Koch, are best known for making for big contributions to conservative causes. On the Western Slope, near Paonia, is a town straight out of the Wild West. (Photo by Caveman Chuck Coker.). 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. Back at the barn, we pull up to the hitching post. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. Cloudflare is currently unable to resolve your requested domain. 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. Spurs, clothing, wagons, cavalry uniforms, arrows, quivers, flagsyou name it. His is an eclectic tribe. When you take from the rich and give to the poor, you end up generating a lot of extra welfare as people who dont have very much can have their lives greatly improved at relatively low cost. Steven Fried, Oxbows COO, questioned Martensen. So theres a pretty good chance that when those hallowed historians show up to tour Billy Kochs Kountry Kavalcade, theyll be presented with photos of Cowboy Curtis signed, Annie Oakleys.. It sits on a 420-acre meadow on his Bear Ranch below the Raggeds Wilderness Area in Gunnison County. In 1968, while studying for his doctorate in chemical engineering, Bill Koch started working for his fathers company; Charles had taken over the business a year earlier after Fred Koch died of a stroke. Terms of Use | Privacy Policy. William "Bill" Koch, brother of Koch Industries CEO Charles Koch, is the founder of petroleum coke and sulphur products company Oxbow Corp. My husband and I are of the opinion that the American people will win. The high mesas in the distance silhouetted Kochs frame as the late-afternoon sun began to cast long shadows. Koch is president of the Oxbow Group, based in Palm Beach, Florida, which operates the Elk Creek coal mine in western Colorado. After Jakes friends pressured the police to open an investigation, two years later in 2017, Jakes body was found on the ranch, wrapped in a tarp buried in a manure pile. David now says hes the handsome one and Im the smart one. My father couldnt buy me honors at Culver. If you choose to let this money destroy your initiative and independence, then it will be a curse to you and my action in giving it to you will have been a mistake. 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. YouTube, Follow us on Bill Koch's Wild West Adventure - 5280 The men were interviewed individually. 2023 Richard Beal. He was recalcitrant and undisciplined. Here are some of the craziest things rich people do with their money: Part of HuffPost Business. Conspiracy theories about him ripple through Paonia: One suggests that he (or his staff) flies his helicopter over his enemies homes, running surveillance or trying to scare his opposition. Oxbow, which has annual revenues of $4 billion and employs 1,500 people worldwide, also owns one of the most productive underground coal mines in the United States: Elk Creek Mine, located about 10 minutes from Kochs ranch. Last year, Koch paid a whopping $2.3million for a small photograph of legendary Wild West outlaw Billy the Kid. Ive had my fair share of the spotlight, he says. Anyone who knows Bill knows that he will chase down someone who has wronged him to the end of the earth. But what's your brother Bill's dealio? Billionaire Bill Koch's new Colorado town is a private Old West marvel Donate today tohelp keep Grists site and newsletters free. A 21,000-square-foot mansion filled with Jesse James memorabilia sits near the 50-building town which includes a saloon, church, brothel, jail and train station. Located 25 minutes from downtown Paonia by car, or 15 minutes by helicopter from Kochs Aspen abode, the 10-acre town features five saloons and a jail, firehouse, church, bank, theater, and library. She is very tired with this fucking nonsense all of the time, and it would be terrific if you sent money to keep this bitch afloat. It sits on a 420-acre meadow on his Bear Ranch below the Raggeds Wilderness Area in Gunnison County. You do not have access to www.architectmagazine.com. Marston claims the deal reeks of political cronyism: Since 2006, Koch and various Oxbow entities donated more than $40,000 to Salazar, and Koch hosted Salazar on his ranch for several elk-hunting outings. A psychologist recommended the brothers be separated. It sits on a 420-acre meadow on his Bear Ranch below the Raggeds Wilderness Area in Gunnison County. Design and build by Upstatement. This town is billionaire Bill Koch's fascination with the Old West rendered in bricks and mortar. Its an unpopulated, faux Western town that might boggle the mind of anyone who ever had a playhouse. You want to see the brothel? Koch asked. Reed said Gunnison County has no restrictions on the size of residences, but the Koch home came before the planning commission because of a regulation that a residence of that size must not be obtrusive.. Forbes estimates Kochs net worth at close to $4 billion. In 2012, he donated more than half a million dollars to charities in the region. They played basketball togetherthough Bill sat on the bench while David was a prolific scorer.