Latest news with #BillKoch
Daily Mail
8 hours ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Sickening claims are leveled against famous billionaire during his time at mysterious elite men-only forest retreat
An employee at the Bohemian Grove elite men's retreat alleged that billionaire businessman Bill Koch requested that the worker 'hand wash his underwear.' Bohemian Grove is an exclusive 2,700-acre campsite on Bohemian Avenue, Sonoma County, California, which hosts the men's-only Bohemian Club. Every July there is a camp on the site for over a fortnight attended by some of earth's most influential men from politics, culture and business. Shawn Granger, Anthony Gregg and Wallid Saad filed a lawsuit alleging wage theft while they worked at the club and it wasn't settled until several wild allegations came out. The suit was over violations of California labor laws and included not giving them breaks to take meals and refusing to pay the state's minimum wage. Granger, Gregg and Saad said they were ordered to work 100-hour weeks but forced by supervisors to clock in just 40 hours, the November 2023 lawsuit obtained by SFGate said. One of the claims was that Gregg was made fun of by members of the Bohemian Club 'for complying with a request from famous billionaire William Koch to hand wash his underwear.' Koch - whose net worth is said to be $2billion, according to Forbes - was not named as a defendant in the lawsuit and a spokesman for him adamantly denied the charge while saying he isn't a members. 'There's no dates given in the alleged incident. There's no detail, period,' Brad Goldstein said. Goldstein claims that the allegations were just to force the club to settle the lawsuit. 'And given the fact that Mr. Koch is not a member of the club and is always confused with his brother, I doubt the veracity of the claim.' The case was dismissed on July 15 after a confidential settlement was agreed between the club and the employees on July 10. Koch is the twin brother of businessman and fellow Republican megadonor David Koch. He and older brother Frederich Koch inherited their father's Koch Industries but later sold their shares to David and their younger brother, the late Charles Koch. Bohemian Grove is an exclusive 2,700-acre campsite on Bohemian Avenue, Sonoma County, California, which hosts the men's-only Bohemian Club. According to the club's website, the vast Redwood forest retreat includes trails, river access and outdoor theatrical and dining venues. Every July there is a camp on the site for over a fortnight attended by some of earth's most influential men from politics, culture and business. The encampment involves over 100 entertainment events, performed by club members, and outdoor activities such as hiking and canoeing. The club's motto reads, 'weaving spiders come not here' - taken from William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream - implies that talk of business is supposed to be avoided on the premises, but this has been ignored on famous occasions. One such abandonment of this principle came in 1942, when a planning meeting for the Manhattan Project was held on the campsite, playing a part in the development of the atomic bomb during World War II. The Bohemian Club was started by journalists, artists and musicians in San Francisco in 1872 - Mark Twain was an early member - and the first two-week encampment came six years later. The first camp at what is now known as Bohemian Grove came before the turn of the 20th century, and the club began acquiring the area incrementally from 1901. At its outset, the club was 'for the association of gentlemen connected professionally with Literature, Art, Music, Drama and also those who, by reason of their love or appreciation of these objects and their interest in participating in Club activities, may be deemed eligible.' Over time the artsy roots of the club expanded to include scientists, businesspeople and politicians. Members are allowed to bring guests but the gathering is closed to media and outsiders. The Bohemian Club is made up by some 2,500 members, but there is no complete list of them. However, photographs from the annual retreats and word-of-mouth have revealed many previous Bohemian Grove attendees. These have included presidents Herbert Hoover, Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon, as well as an A-list of those in the fields originally stated as the club's target demographic. Over decades, many journalists have attempted to sneak into Bohemian Grove. In 1989, Spy magazine went undercover and mixed with the likes of Henry Kissinger, and called what they saw 'the establishment's secret two-week frat party'. But much more sinister accusations were made by conspiracy theorist Alex Jones in 2000 after he snuck onto the grounds. Jones - whose historic claims have included saying the Sandy Hook shooting was staged, leading to him being ordered to pay victims' families $1.5 billion in damages - recorded one of the camp rituals as guests burnt an effigy at the 'Cremation of Care'. Many refer to the ceremony as a 'satanic ritual', but it is presented as a metaphorical banishment of members;' worldly cares which are to be left outside the Grove's boundaries. The InfoWars host also produced a documentary filled with lurid claims about the goings on at Bohemian Grove including grand plotting and human sacrifice. Jon Ronson, a journalist who accompanied Jones on the trip, reflected differently, writing: 'My lasting impression was of an all-pervading sense of immaturity. 'I wondered whether the Bohemians shroud themselves in secrecy for reasons no more sinister than they thought it was cool.' Outside of the conspiratorial claims, the camp has been the target of anti-nuclear, anti-capitalist and environmental protests in recent years by virtue of those who attend being people of power and influence. Other controversies around the Bohemian Club include a 1978 discrimination charge as it emerged that the club refused to hire women and it was ordered to begin recruiting and hiring female employees in October 1981.
Bloomberg
03-07-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Red, Orange, White and Chilled: The 13 Best Wines for Summer
Hi all you wine lovers. It's Elin McCoy, back again with the latest in the wine world. If you tuned in last month for advice from billionaire Bill Koch, here's an update: The 1,500 lots from his cellar brought in a whopping $28.8 million at the mid-June Christie's auction.
New York Post
19-06-2025
- Business
- New York Post
Billionaire investor Bill Koch lists storied Cape Cod estate where JFK often visited for $23.85M
When billionaire investor, collector and competitive sailor Bill Koch first set foot on Cape Cod in the 1970s, he did so as a guest in one of the area's most storied estates. The summer home of banking heir Paul Mellon and his wife, the renowned horticulturalist Rachel 'Bunny' Mellon, was a beacon of quiet elegance, filled with fine art and cultivated gardens — and often visited by close friends Jacqueline and John F. Kennedy. Now, over a decade after acquiring the estate from Bunny Mellon herself, Koch is ready to part with it, the Wall Street Journal first reported. 13 Billionaire businessman and America's Cup winner Bill Koch is listing the former Cape Cod estate of philanthropists Paul and Bunny Mellon for $23.85 million. Halsey Fulton 13 A foyer. Halsey Fulton The waterfront compound in Osterville, Massachusetts, a gated enclave of Oyster Harbors, is listed for $23.85 million, one of the priciest properties currently on the market in Cape Cod. 'My main Cape home is next door — it is plenty big for my friends and family now,' Koch said in an email to the Journal. 'It is time for someone else to enjoy this marvelous property.' 13 Located in the gated enclave of Oyster Harbors, the waterfront property sits on 7.5 acres. Halsey Fulton 13 The property features a 7,300-square-foot main house, guest cottages, an artist's studio, beach house, and greenhouse, all connected by garden paths with sweeping views of Nantucket Sound. Halsey Fulton The roughly 7.5-acre estate, first built in 1954, includes a 7,300-square-foot main house with eight bedrooms, along with two two-bedroom guest cottages, an artist's studio, a beach house and a greenhouse. Winding paths connect the structures across sweeping lawns, with panoramic views of Nantucket Sound. The estate also includes a private dock and more than 500 feet of waterfront. Listing agents Joanna Dresser and Kelly Crosby of LandVest of Christie's International Real Estate called the property a rare convergence of provenance and potential. 'This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to own a legacy property with both historical provenance and limitless potential,' Dresser told The Post in a statement. 'The setting, the history, and the sheer scale of this estate are unmatched on Cape Cod.' 13 The Mellons, who built the home in 1954 and famously entertained the Kennedys there several times, filled the estate with fine art and shaped the grounds into a horticultural showcase. Halsey Fulton 13 Jackie Kennedy Onassis is seen on the property. Halsey Fulton That history runs deep. Paul Mellon, whose family established the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., was known for his deep appreciation of fine art and thoroughbred horses. His wife, Bunny, became one of the most influential landscape designers of the 20th century, best known for designing the White House Rose Garden. She brought that sensibility to the Cape, shaping the grounds with native plantings, fruit orchards and formal gardens. In lieu of natural dunes, the Mellons famously imported 2,000 tons of sand to construct a 20-foot-high barrier between the house and the sea — a privacy measure that raised eyebrows in the press. 'The newspapers had a field day describing the Mellons' extravagance,' according to the biography 'Bunny Mellon: The Life of an American Style Legend.' 13 Bill Koch, who bought the estate in 2013 and owns the adjacent parcel as his main Cape residence, said he's selling because it's time for someone else to enjoy the property. AP The couple filled the house with fine art, often relocating masterpieces from their primary residence in Virginia each summer. 'He had some of the world's greatest masterpieces,' Koch recalled. 'I always wanted a Van Gogh, and he knew it, and would always — with just a touch of smugness—steer me into the room where it hung.' Koch, now 85, purchased the estate for $19.5 million in 2013. A year later, he acquired an adjacent 10-acre property from the du Pont family and made that his primary Cape residence. He's since used the Mellon home as overflow for family and guests, and at times rented it out for $25,000 a week. 13 'I wanted to maintain the house as I remembered it,' Koch said, preserving Bunny Mellon's design and legacy. Halsey Fulton 13 Originally built in 1954 and landscaped by Bunny Mellon—who famously designed the White House Rose Garden—the estate features a manmade dune, flower gardens, and vestiges of Bunny's signature style. Halsey Fulton 'The main house remains largely as it was when the Mellons built it,' Koch told the Journal. 'I wanted to maintain the house as I remembered it. Bunny Mellon's designs and style still permeate the property.' Indeed, many of Bunny Mellon's touches remain intact — from baskets she hand-selected to the original layout of the gardens. The beach house near the shoreline has been left largely untouched since the days when the Kennedys would visit. 'It is important to me to preserve the home the way I remembered it when I used to visit Paul and Bunny, and maintain their influence and style over the estate,' Koch said in a separate statement to The Post. The listing comes as Koch continues to scale back his Cape holdings. 13 One of eight bedrooms on the main property. Halsey Fulton 13 One of many entrances to the main property. Halsey Fulton In addition to this sale, he's asking $10.5 million for a nearby 1.75-acre parcel with a 3,700-square-foot house and dock, and last year listed another portion of the former Mellon estate for $16 million. Koch's real estate footprint extends far beyond the Cape. He owns a Palm Beach compound, a ranch in Paonia, Colo., complete with a faux Western town, and a sprawling estate near Aspen that is currently listed for $125 million. In tandem with these property sales, Koch is offloading part of his renowned wine collection. Earlier this month, Christie's hosted a three-day sale of nearly 8,000 bottles from his cellar. The event, titled The Cellar of William I. Koch: The Great American Collector, brought in $28.8 million, setting a North American record for a single-owner wine collection. Despite broader market uncertainty, Koch's listing still has a shot at drawing interest from buyers seeking heritage with privacy. 13 The outdoor lounge area and relaxation spaces. Halsey Fulton 13 An aerial view of the property. Halsey Fulton 'Great properties still sell quickly,' Zenas Crocker of LandVest, who is also marketing the listing, told the Journal. 'Others may take a while or need price adjustments.' He noted that the Northeast's unusually rainy spring has slowed buyer momentum. 'It's not like, 'It's May 15, let's go to the Cape,'' he said. 'It's 42 degrees and raining sideways.' Still, the property remains a standout for those who value pedigree, privacy and provenance. As Koch told The Journal, 'He [Paul Mellon] taught me how to live with fine art in a wonderful, intimate way. My neighbors up here can thank him for their views of the Botero bronzes on my lawn.'
Yahoo
17-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Russell's Reserve Has Brought Back Its Fan-Favorite 13-Year-Old Bourbon—and It's the Strongest One Yet
Russell's Reserve, a whiskey brand produced at Kentucky's Wild Turkey Distillery, is known for its affordable, high-quality range of bourbons and rye whiskeys. The core bourbon expression carries a 10-year-old age statement and can usually be found for around $50 per bottle, an indisputable bargain in a world of whiskey inflation. In 2021, the brand launched a 13-year-old version, and though it was just a few years older it immediately skyrocketed in price on the secondary market. Well, that bourbon is back, but this time it's bottled at a much higher barrel proof than previous releases. According to the brand, previous releases of Russell's Reserve 13 were 'batched' at a barrel proof of 114.8—in other words, that is the barrel proof of a bunch of barrels that were blended together. This year's release is nearly ten proof points higher, clocking in at 123.8 proof—the highest to date—which puts it more in the range of Booker's or Elijah Craig Barrel Proof. The whiskey's higher ABV is based on the location of the barrels that master distiller Eddie Russell and his team selected for this new release. Certain parts of each rickhouse are hotter or dryer than others, which leads to higher rates of evaporation yielding barrels with more alcohol and less water inside—especially after 13 years. More from Robb Report A 2,000-Acre Montana Ranch With 20 Private Ski Runs Lists for $24 Million Bill Koch's World-Class Wine Collection Just Sold for a Record $28.8 Million at Auction Inside a Luxe New Resort and Spa That Just Opened on the Greek Island of Crete 'This release of Russell's Reserve 13 Year Old is special to me not only because it celebrates our legacy, but because it represents a new chapter in the evolution of this bourbon,' said Russell in a statement. 'This one carries the signature profile the 13 is known for, but with enhanced cola notes that bring a new depth of flavor. I'm excited to share this new iteration with our fans because I think they're going to love drinking it as much as I enjoyed making it.' We were not able to sample this new bourbon yet, but the official tasting notes detail aromas of vanilla, caramel, brown sugar, baking spice, and 'the distillery's signature dusty funk' on the nose. That's followed by cola, molasses, dark fruit, fruit cobbler, and butter cream on the palate, with mature oak, char, deep oak spice, and a hint of black pepper on the finish. This release comes after last year's Russell's Reserve 15 Year Old, an amazing bourbon that the distillery said is a one-off (it topped our 50 Greatest Bourbons list). Russell's 13, however, is an ongoing release, but no word if the proof will stay at this level or if it might change again in the future. Russell's Reserve 13 Year Old will be available starting later this summer (SRP $200, hopefully you can find it for close to that) at select retailers and at the Wild Turkey visitor's center. You can also find previous editions of the bourbon available now at websites like ReserveBar. Best of Robb Report Why a Heritage Turkey Is the Best Thanksgiving Bird—and How to Get One 9 Stellar West Coast Pinot Noirs to Drink Right Now The 10 Best Wines to Pair With Steak, From Cabernet to Malbec Click here to read the full article.
Yahoo
17-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
A 2,000-Acre Montana Ranch With 20 Private Ski Runs Lists for $24 Million
If you've ever dreamed of owning a ski resort—but without the crowds, the lift lines, or the pesky permitting process—there's a ranch in Montana that might check every box. Just 20 minutes south of Missoula, nestled in the foothills of Lolo Peak, a sprawling 1,981-acre property known as Lolo Ranch has just hit the market asking $24 million. The best part? It comes with over 20 professionally designed ski runs already carved into the mountainside. Back in the mid-2000s, the ranch was the site of an ambitious plan to create a full-scale luxury ski resort. The then-owner, a local named Tom Maclay, envisioned slopeside lodges, shops, and high-end housing but ran into regulatory roadblocks with the U.S. Forest Service. After years of stalled permits, the project fell apart, the bank foreclosed, and the land was quietly auctioned off for $22.5 million in 2014, The Missoulian reported. What remains a decade later is a rare piece of recreational infrastructure: dozens of smoothed and cleared trails, winding from elevations near 6,000 feet down through forested ridges and open pastures. More from Robb Report Bill Koch's World-Class Wine Collection Just Sold for a Record $28.8 Million at Auction Inside a Luxe New Resort and Spa That Just Opened on the Greek Island of Crete A $12.4 Million Home Perched Above the Ocean Hits the Market in Martha's Vineyard RELATED: Why the Ultra-Wealthy Are Betting Big on America's Luxury Ranch Estates Today, Lolo Ranch is better suited for private use. There are no lifts, but snowmobiles or snowcats can easily ferry skiers to the top. 'On a good snow year, you could be there shredding for a couple months,' listing broker Deke Tidwell of Hall and Hall tells Mansion Global. In the off-season, the trails make for phenomenal mountain biking. The rest of the ranch is equally impressive. With five bedrooms and six baths, the rustic 5,000-square-foot lodge has plenty of room to host a large group. There are outbuildings for livestock; approximately 155 acres are under pivot irrigation, and the property holds extensive water rights sourced from multiple waterways, including McClain Creek, which runs right through the middle of the land. RELATED: John Huston's Former L.A. Ranch Has a Miniature Disney Railroad, and It Just Listed for $20 Million Thanks to its location at the base of the Bitterroot Mountains, Lolo Ranch borders over three miles of public land, offering direct access to the Lolo National Forest and the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness—one of the largest roadless areas in the Lower 48. Several alpine lakes lie just beyond the property line, reachable by foot, bike, or high-clearance vehicle. Wildlife is abundant here, but elk are the undisputed stars. 'The largest resident elk herd in the northern Bitterroot Valley lives here year-round,' Tidwell adds. 'They don't go anywhere because they're so happy.' Infrastructure from the failed resort plan—including underground power, miles of roads, and graded trails—opens the door for future development. But the land isn't burdened by a conservation easement, so the next owner can choose whether to build, conserve, or simply enjoy a very scenic version of of Robb Report The 10 Priciest Neighborhoods in America (And How They Got to Be That Way) In Pictures: Most Expensive Properties Click here to read the full article.
