Bill Koch may have found the answer after building his own private Old West town in Colorado. Steven Fried, Oxbows COO, questioned Martensen. The Koch Brothers Are Sitting on a Real Estate Empire Worth - WSJ Bill Koch's Wild West Adventure - 5280 Koch is trying to sew up more privacy at Bear Ranch through a land swap that brought his name into the public eye in Delta and Gunnison counties. According to The Sideshow, the 72-year-old isn't designing the place for public consumption. YouTube, Follow us on Forbes described it as a place where once anyone might stake a claim, but now you must be a billionaire.. In December, Governor John Hickenlooper visited Koch and the town. He loosens his cinch, gives the saddle a tug, and carries it into the barn, where he hangs it on the rack. 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Hed been quiet this afternoon; Koch had stayed up late into the night, drinking whiskey in the saloon with his brother-in-law and a few friends. It sits on a 420-acre meadow on his Bear Ranch below the Raggeds Wilderness Area in Gunnison County. Facebook, Follow us on A large-scale, private recreation of an old West town: There's a new town in Colorado. It sits on a 420-acre meadow on his Bear Ranch below the Raggeds Wilderness Area in Gunnison County. Its an unpopulated, faux Western town that might boggle the mind of anyone who ever had a playhouse. It is simply for Koch's amusement and for that of his family and friends and historians. This town is billionaire Bill Koch's fascination with the Old West rendered in bricks and mortar. When the coup failed, Bill was fired, and in 1983, Bill and his eldest brother, Frederick, sold their shares of Koch Industries. The unpopulated town has about 50 full-size buildings, including a saloon, jail, livery and train station. Suite 675 Last year, Koch paid a whopping $2.3million for a small photograph of legendary Wild West outlaw Billy the Kid. Billionaire Bill Koch builds private Old West town in Colorado It is the ultimate repository for his huge collection of Western memorabilia. It could take years for either case to go to trial. The commission recently OKd a 22,000-square-foot residence for Koch above the town that already has two buildings in excess of 11,000 square feet. OPEN GOV US Koch is cautious when speaking of his brothershe avoids commenting on his brothers politics, on how his views differ from theirs (he, like his brothers, was a big donor to Mitt Romney; but, unlike his brothers, he has also donated to Democrats, including Ted Kennedy), and on the almost 20-year war waged among them. Coal and oil billionaire William Koch, brother of Tea Party backers Charles and David Koch, is bringing his vast Western art collection to the Smithsonian American Art Museum from March 28 to. Koch, who was interviewing another executive in a different building, says he watched Martensen leave, weeping. This town is billionaire Bill Kochs fascination with the Old West rendered in bricks and mortar. Around 50 buildings, along with a water-treatment system, have been permitted by Gunnison County in the past two years. document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Itll probably look like this, but the donkeys will run on crude oil. A locked gate with guards screens who comes and goes. Billionaire Bill Koch's new Colorado town is a private Old West marvel On a warm day this past September, Bill Koch rode on horseback through Bear Ranch, his 4,500-acre property located just outside of Paonia. His twin, David, 19 minutes older, was handsome, sociable, and athletic and gravitated toward their brother Charles, who is five years older than the twins. It is simply for Kochs amusement and for that of his family and friends and historians. When autocomplete results are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to go to the desired page. Bill Koch's 'Western Town' An Old West town re-created by billionaire William "Bill" Koch is seen near Paonia State Park in Colo., Aug. 22, 2012. 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. Kochs collection spans the 19th and early 20th centuries, and parts of it will be displayed at the Smithsonian next year. (An oxbow is where a river changes course, Koch explains.) Koch also bought a 21-acre lot on Jumbo Mountain, a popular recreation area outside of Paonia, which he plans to convey to the BLM to provide permanent public access to Jumbo; currently, a landowner allows people to cross his property to get to the mountain. Bill received about $300 million after taxes. Its like something out of a Gunsmoke movie set, said Ramon Reed, chairman of the Gunnison County Planning Commission. In fact, it's . Lee signs bill BANNING transgender treatment for children into law. 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. Fred Koch believed in hard work and was a self-made man, having pioneered a more efficient method of refining heavy oil into gasoline. Around 50 buildings, along with a water-treatment system, have been permitted by Gunnison County in the past two years. Your IP: 172.105.83.36, Requested URL: www.architectmagazine.com/design/wild-bill-koch-builds-a-private-town-out-west_o, User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.1; Win64; x64) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/103.0.0.0 Safari/537.36. Wild Bill Koch Builds a Private Town Out West - Architect Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group, Alex Murdaugh now faces life in jail after showing no emotion as he was found GUILTY of murdering his wife Maggie and son Paul - jurors spent less than three hours deliberating, The King's revenge? Bill Koch, the history-buff brother to Charles and David, is currently building an exact replica of an Old West town on his 6,400 acre Bear Ranch in Paonia, Colorado - roughly a 15 minute. This town is billionaire Bill Koch's fascination with the Old West rendered in bricks and mortar. The high mesas in the distance silhouetted Kochs frame as the late-afternoon sun began to cast long shadows. Its a big supplier of sulfur, sulfuric acid, and fertilizers. Though Oxbow is now firmly entrenched in the business of carbon-based products, one of its first endeavors was in alternative energygeothermal and hydroelectric plants in Nevada, the Philippines, and Costa Rica. 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. Koch, who was not available for comment, also owns four properties in upper Castle Creek Valley near Aspen, including the 17,000-square-foot Elk Mountain Lodge that he turned into a personal residence when he bought it and the other three properties for $51 million in 2007. Fred Koch also had a deep love of the West and at one time was one of the largest ranchers in the United States, owning more than two million acres of ranchlands in Texas, Kansas, Wyoming, and Montana. Bill disagreed with Charles totalitarian control of the company and believed the stockholders were not getting their rewards. This town is billionaire Bill Koch's fascination with the Old West rendered in bricks and mortar. Shes got a great character and she could love me besides loving herself., In 2011, Koch founded Oxbridge Academy, pledging $60 million because, he says, he wasnt satisfied with the education options in Palm Beach, and he didnt want to send his children off to boarding school. Billionaires need to either plot schemes for world domination or else build replica towns at vast expense. Dont get too excited, loser! Denver, CO 80202. To do it, were going to need to think differently; to create new alliances, maybe break old ones. Koch, known as Wild Bill to some of his friends, is the founder and president of the energy company Oxbow Group, which operates the Elk Creek Mine near Somerset. Shelley Koch, a longtime resident of southwest Virginia, had witnessed a similar scene many Sunday mornings after church services. Wild Bill Koch Builds a Private Town Out West It sits on a 420-acre meadow on his Bear Ranch below the Raggeds Wilderness Area in Gunnison County. An Old West town re-created by billionaire William "Bill" Koch is seen near Paonia State Park in Colo., Aug. 22, 2012. And if there are no parents there to help put everything into perspective, it can get very bad. His mother would side with his brothers. It wasnt the first time Koch has laid down cold hard cash for some Wild West swag, and it was not the last. FINANCE. 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. Both Zhan and Martensen took Kochs private plane back to California. Ghosts, Koch said with a boyish chuckle. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. Bill Koch may have found the answer after building his own private Old West town in Colorado. Hes been labeled a greedy bastard by a blog called the Vile Plutocrat, and New York Magazines website has a recent posting that describes him as evil. This past October, Koch made national headlines when a former Oxbow executive accused Koch of kidnapping him and imprisoning him at the ranch. The collection of properties may appear to be stereotypical billionaire preening, but Koch says he has different intentions. 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. Its the second project of its kind in the United States. Bill Koch, brother to Koch Industries' Charles and David Koch, lives in Florida, where his global energy company, Oxbow Carbon LLC, is headquartered. 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When his family said hed gone to Reno, Nevada the 29-year-old lived with his mother Deb Rudibaugh on the struggling family ranch known as 7-11 and wasnt returning text messages his friends grew suspicious. Elk Creek yields some of the cleanest (lowest sulfur) coal in the world. He couldnt buy me a doctorate degree from MIT. The next day, as we headed toward higher elevation on our horses, Kochs ranch unfurled below us, with views of the town and thousands of acres of grazing land for his 1,100 head of cattle. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. It's an unpopulated, faux Western town that might boggle the mind of anyone who ever had a playhouse. The Post reported that Koch, who won the Americas Cup yachting race in 1992 and is known as 'Wild Bill' among his friends, dished out $3.1million for Buckskin Joe in 2010. An Old West town re-created by billionaire William "Bill" Koch is seen near Paonia State Park in Colo., Aug. 22, 2012. But, more important, Marston believes the deal will rob Paonia of access to the Raggeds. In November, Oxbow, along with Aspen Skiing Company, Vessels Coal Gas Inc., and Holy Cross Energy, unveiled a coal-methane conversion plant that will convert methane from Oxbows Elk Creek Mine (methane is a byproduct of coal mining and a leading greenhouse gas) into electricity; the power generated through this project is roughly equal to Aspen Skiing Companys energy usage. Bill Koch is building a private town to house his collection of This town is billionaire Bill Koch's fascination with the Old West rendered in bricks and mortar. Koch will have a lot of room to keep his collections in Colorado. His boat was the winner of the America's Cup in 1992. Martensens lawsuit says he asked to leave but was held captive at the ranch. In 1936, four years before Bill and David were born, Fred Koch wrote a letter to his boys, Frederick and Charles, and to his future children. Koch, known as Wild Bill to some of his friends, is the founder and president of the energy company Oxbow Group, which operates the Elk Creek Mine near Somerset. The controversial swap would give the government properties near Blue Mesa and in Dinosaur National Park in exchange for a public swath that cuts through his ranch. You guys are weird, but there is a method to your madness: you want to buy Wisconsin, and the presidency, and so you do. That residence is along a county road, so it doesnt have the privacy of Bear Ranch. 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Your support keeps our unbiased, nonprofit news free. But Bill Koch is not staying out of the political fray either, donating a total of $2million this year to pro-Romney super PAC Restore Our Future. In 1958, he graduated with honors. You all take care of each other., Koch was at the ranch that weekend to work out some details related to the Old West town hes building on his land. Kansas-based Koch Industries restructures top management The Koch Brother's 'Western Town' in Photos - ABC News Billionaire Bill Koch's new Colorado town is a private Old West marvel, Billionaire William Koch Accused Of Kidnapping And Imprisoning Executive On Colorado Ranch. Bill Koch could create a real Western heritage for Denver and the Stock Kochs designer and project manager agreed to tone down lighting so it wont be shining into the Raggeds Wilderness. Koch is president of the Oxbow Group, based in Palm Beach, Florida, which operates the Elk Creek coal mine in western Colorado. The next day, after the group strategy session, Koch had lunch with the executives and then took them on a helicopter tour of the town, after which the performance reviews took place. Koch, 72, who made his fortune partly by developing underground coal deposits in Somerset, Colorado, is building the out-of-the-way oasis at his nearby Bear Ranch, a working cattle operation southwest of Aspen. How to put profit back in the non-profit National Western Stock Show -- enough to keep it corralled in its current location? 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. The rivalry between the twin brothers got so severe in middle school, Koch says, that he became withdrawn and nearly flunked out. The Local newsletter is your free, daily guide to life in Colorado. For locals, by locals. That's the question a group of NWSS officials, business types and city . Dateline: 7-11 Ranch Murder Near Billionaire Bill Koch's Old West Town Koch instructed his team to ask to inspect Martensens bags to ensure that he wasnt stealing any company property. 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. This town is billionaire Bill Koch's fascination with the Old West rendered in bricks and mortar. (Mastrullos stepson works in Kochs Elk Creek Mine.) It is the ultimate repository for his huge collection of Western memorabilia. We bought Buck Creek for access. The Kansas native formed his own company after. 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.. On whatcrazy-ass thing is he spending his billions today? 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. Koch also agreed to downsize a bit. Their father was keenly aware of moneys inherent paradox. 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. The Central Rockies Land Exchange, which has been approved by the Delta County and Gunnison County commissioners, must now go before the 113th Congress. It sits on a 420-acre meadow on his Bear Ranch below the Raggeds Wilderness Area in Gunnison County. Follow us on He was recalcitrant and undisciplined. Forbes estimates his net worth at close to $4billion. His downhome, aw-shucks demeanor seemed at odds with the businessman who has been demonized as a wicked energy baron. We had an extremely competitive family, and we didnt take care of one another, Koch told me over dinner in the Cook House, the Old West towns main dining area. He bought out the Buckskin Joe Western town near Caon City for $3.1 million in 2010. . 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. He runs the school like a business: The headmaster is the president and CEO, and the kids and the parents are the customers. Billionaire Bill Koch is building an entire Wild West town (pictured above) on his 6,400-acre Bear Ranch in Gunnison County, Colo., the Denver Post reported. 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. The comments below have not been moderated. The Koch Brother's 'Western Town' in Photos Photos - ABC News Bill Koch won the final suit against his brothers. Bill Koch Building Private Cowboy Town 'For His Huge Collection Of On this day, however, it played out in a parking lot outside a modest government building in Bristol where officials . Fried asked if Martensen had ever heard of the company. It will be yours to do what you will. I always wanted my mothers affection but could never get it, he says. ', Collector: Koch, pictured in a 2012 photo, admits he's a big fan of the Western era. Proposed in 2010 by then Congressman John Salazar, a Democrat who lost his bid for re-election that same year, the Central Rockies Land Exchange, as the swap is called, aims to connect the two disparate sides of Bear Ranch into one contiguous piece of property via a Bureau of Land Management parcel. For my own self-worth, I had to learn that.. 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. It's also one of Wichita's largest employers . Elk Mountain was formerly a high-end hunting lodge. 1999-2023 Grist Magazine, Inc. All rights reserved. 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. It sits on a 420-acre meadow on his Bear Ranch below the Raggeds Wilderness Area in Gunnison County. You may have an Old West play set, but billionaire Bill Koch has his own frontier town. It sits on a 420-acre meadow on his Bear Ranch below the Raggeds Wilderness Area in Gunnison County. Staff comes last. The schools five-person board of directors contains three Oxbow executives, including Koch. 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. It's an unpopulated, faux Western town that might boggle the mind of anyone who ever had a playhouse. Back at the barn, we pull up to the hitching post. Koch says he invited Martensenand five other executives thought to be involved in the schemeto the ranch for a corporate retreat in mid-March. 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. You can use it as a valuable tool for accomplishment or you can squander it foolishly. This fantasy, it would seem, is for Continue reading Billionaire Builds His Own Private . Martensen then was kidnapped and kept captive in the vehicle during the trip to Denver. Martensen, his attorney, and another former Oxbow executive, Joe Lombardi, who was also at the ranch during the incident and was fired, all declined to comment for this story. William "Bill" Koch, brother of Koch Industries CEO Charles Koch, is the founder of petroleum coke and sulphur products company Oxbow Corp. Instagram, Follow us on In February, the brothers famously announced that they were putting up $100million to boot President Obama out of the White House. Kelley McMillan writes frequently for the New York Times and Outside magazine. She is on maternity leave until 2033. Grist is powered by WordPress VIP. Eastern Mass Bill Koch League Inc (EIN# 842330277) is an tax exempt organization filed with Internal Revenue Service (IRS).