Early Life
Julia Margaret Flesher Koch was born on April 12, 1962, in Indianola, Iowa. She grew up in a middle-class family, where her parents owned a furniture store and later a clothing shop in Arkansas. After graduating from the University of Central Arkansas, she moved to New York City in 1984.
Rise to Success
In New York City, Julia worked as an assistant to fashion designer Adolfo and worked with high-profile clients, including Nancy Reagan. She met David Koch on a blind date in 1991, and they married in 1996. After David's death in 2019, she inherited a 42% stake in Koch Industries.
Key Business Strategies
Julia Koch is on the board of directors of Koch Industries. In June 2024, she and her children paid nearly $700 million for a 15% stake in BSE Global, which owns the Brooklyn Nets and New York Liberty. In October 2025, they bought a 10% interest in the New York Giants football team, an investment valued at $10 billion.
Philanthropy
Julia Koch serves as the president of the David H. Koch Foundation. She has donated millions to museums, hospitals, and educational institutions, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Lincoln Center, and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. In February 2024, the Julia Koch Family Foundation gifted $75 million to NYU Langone for the construction of the Julia Koch Family Ambulatory Care Center in West Palm Beach, Florida.