Seated: Charles Fred Mary Fredrick
Standing: David William
There have been few
American families that have been
as politically influential
than the Koch family. They own
the second largest private
corporation in America. The
four Koch brothers are on
the Fortune 500 list of the richest
people in America. Their
desire to keep a low profile
working behind the scenes
has been breached by family
quarrels that began in
childhood. Birth order interactions
were allowed to “work”
themselves out by parents that had
other interests that
superseded their sons. Bill the youngest
said the situation at home
was “more like the movie Lord of
the Flies” that brought
out the basic instincts of survival
among the brothers. This allowed
their birth orders full
expression. Each birth
order has its own expression and
the quest for power over
the other sibling continues into
adulthood.
The Start: First two Generations
Fred C Koch was born
September 23, 1900 to a penniless
Dutch immigrant Harry Koch.
Harry became a newspaper
Owner in Quanah Texas a
small town with less than
2,000 people.
His older brother John Anton Koch was
born in1898. John followed into the family business but
Fred took another course
as the second son often does.
Fred started college in
Texas where he learned to box,
this may have helped
release his stress. He later went to
MIT where he graduated
with an engineering degree.
While at MIT he and a
friend invented a thermal cracking
process for turning crude
oil to gasoline. They tried to sell
the process to the American
oil industry but were rejected.
In 1930, Russia was
looking to modernize their oil industry
and welcomed their help.
The Russian government paid
them well but this relationship
did not last. Fred developed
a hatred for Communism and
was instrumental in the
birth of the John Birch
Society, an anti-Communist group
based in southern
California. He and his partners now had
the money to start their own
oil refining business in the
US. Number 2 birth orders make money so others
will
not tell them what to do.
They don’t do it for the material
things that money can buy.
This was Fred and the start
of Koch Enterprises.
Fred starts a family
Fred married Mary Robinson
Koch at age 32, later than
most men at the time. He and
Mary had four sons. Frederick
(Fred) 1933, Charles 1935,
and the twins David and William
(Bill) in 1940. Fred and his wife were more obsessed with his
business and her busy
social scene than raising the boys and
spending family time
together. There was no silver spoon for
these boys. Fred paid them
only for chores and did not give
them an allowance. When he
was home he ruled the boys
with an iron fist. Most of
the time they were left alone to
interact between each
other.
The Boys Birth orders
Fredrick was the firstborn,
Charles the second born but the
twins born five years
after Charles made up a “family” within
the family. The twins
interaction was greater between each
other and less with their
older brothers. The five year spacing
gave them Double Birth
Orders. David, the oldest of the
twins, was the third birth
but the oldest in this “second family.”
He has a 3/1 birth order.
William (Bill) was the fourth born
(19 minutes younger) but
the second in this “second family”
he has a 4/2 birth order. When
people have double birth
orders they display characteristics
for both birth orders but
not at the same time.
Unaware of their dual birth orders they
may find it difficult to
control which one is going to appear
and this can cause stress.
There is also sibling rivalry between
these two. David has the
superior birth order numbers, 3 & 1
and Bill a 4 & 2 will want to dethrone
him.
Fredrick the Firstborn
Fredrick is the firstborn
and was named after his father. As
many fathers, Fred Sr. had
plans for his firstborn son to
follow in his footsteps
and take over the family business.
Sometimes the pressure is
too great and the firstborn,
he drops out and lets his
younger sibling dethrone him
and takes a different
course. This is devastating to the
father, especially one so
driven as Fred Senior. Fredrick
is the shortest of the boys at six foot two. He
was closest
to his mother and shared
her interest in the arts and was
not athletic. He loved to
act and sing. He left home for
boarding school after the
7th grade. When he was in his
20’s many thought he was
gay. In the 60’s the mention of
Fredrick vanished from his
father’s biography. Partially
disinherited by his father
he now spends his time and
money restoring castles
and historical houses. He has never
married and owns the
private photo collection of George
Platt Lynes and Jerome
Zerbe focused on homoerotic
imagery. He and youngest
brother Bill were bought out of
Koch Enterprises by their
2nd oldest brother Charles.
Charles the Second Born
Charles has all the
characteristics of a second born. Just
like
his second born father he
didn’t like to be told what to do.
If there was any sibling
rivalry it was short lived. His father
picked him to succeed him by
putting a lot of pressure on him
as early as age nine.
Charles was rebellious and was kicked
out of many private
boarding schools starting at age 11.
Many say he was a “bad
boy” that turned good. In terms of
birth order he now has to act
the part of a firstborn but has
the characteristics of a
Second born just like his father. When
this is just an act he may
go overboard in using his power.
As a #2 material things
are not his main interest but being
free of authority is a
high priority. He still lives in Wichita
Kansas, eats in the
company cafeteria and goes to work
everyday even in his
70’s. He, like his father is using his
money for political change.
He is thought to be the money
behind the “Tea Party” movement
and the support of
conservative candidates.
Second borns like Bill Gates and
Warren Buffett share this
trait and they too will continue
to get wealthier. During
the period that brother Bill brought
a lawsuit against the
company, Charles shunned his brother.
You don’t tell a number 2
what to do!
David the Older Twin
3/1 birth order
David is 19 minutes older
than his younger twin brother.
The twins start another family
group because they are
five years younger than
Charles. This gives David some
firstborn and third born characteristics.
Growing up he
fought a lot with his
younger twin. He seemed to win
more boxing matches so
held off any dethroning by his
younger twin. He and
Charles are the brothers that run
Koch Enterprises. He would
be drawn to Charles who is
acting like a #1 which is
part of David’s birth order. As a
#3 we see David’s
charitable side and his interest in
helping those in need on a
larger scale. He gives to
hospitals, theaters, art
and education. Living in New York
he is thought to be its
wealthiest resident. Like his brother
he feels he can change the
world with an interest in
politics. In 1980 he ran
as VP on the Libertarian ticket.
He is Chairman of
Americans for Prosperity a political
action group that is very
conservative. During the law
suit brought by his younger
twin David was torn between
loyalty to his twin and his
older brother Charles.
William the Younger Twin 4/2 birth order
William or Bill is the
true baby in the family. He was the
fourth born. He also has the number two birth order which
would make him combative.
Bill #4 was always jealous of
Charles his #2 brother and
even went to the same boarding
school. Of course, he did
not know that they shared a birth
order. Someone with a 4/2
birth order would be a
combination of an impulsive
child with the “don’t tell me
what to do” of the #2. These two birth orders together can
make a combustible mix. The
baby #4 wants things and the
#2 is ready to fight for them.
Bill has been known to be the
“Playboy” of the group and
has been married 3 times.
He won the Americas Cup in
Yacht racing in 1992 and is a
collector if art and
wine. Known to have a hair trigger
temper and is quick to sue
others if he feels cheated. He
and older brother Fredrick
sued Charles and David after he
thought the $800 million buyout
was too small. They lost
the case. During the trial
he said he had mixed feelings.
One was purely economic
the other emotional attachment
To the company. The lawyer
asked, “In the competition
between the two halves of yourself what won
out?” “Get
the highest price” Bill
said. This was an open display of his
inner torment trying to
balance his two birth orders. Unless
he can understand that he
really is two different people and
begin to control his birth
orders he will be forever unhappy.
Families and Birth Order
Some parents feel it is
their fault that their children do not like
each other and can’t get
along. This is not their fault as you
can see with the Koch
brothers. Because of their great wealth
their personalities were
on display in open court. Expressing
their birth orders made
them who they are. All people, if
given enough time will
have a life that matches their birth
order. Those with double birth orders have a more
difficult
time balancing their life.
It is their Life’s Fingerprint!
UpDate
On August 23, 2019 David Koch died after a long battle with
prostate cancer. He was 79 years old.
For more information on
Double Birth Order purchase my
book Life’s Fingerprint: How Birth Order Affect Your Path
Throughout Life, by Dr. Robert V.V. Hurst You can go to my
website www.mybirthorder.com
