Painting with Oil

Oil magnate David Koch stepped down from the board of the American Museum of Natural History on December 9, 2015. His departure came only months after dozens of scientists signed a letter calling on the science museum sector to sever ties with the fossil fuel industry. Koch, who governs the sprawling Koch Industries alongside his brother Charles, had sat on the board for twenty-three years, and continues to maintain similar arrangements at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C., and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Over the years Koch has donated millions of dollars to these museums. Many argue that this has allowed Koch to influence their public programming while boosting the reputation of Koch Industries.