Just a short note, for you wealthier-than-god enthusiasts, to say that the Koch Bros have reached a new high. Thanks to heavy and aggressive speculative trading in the oil derivatives market, they've seen their fortunes rise 43% since March 2010.
Speculation on energy markets — they must have been betting on the long side, on price increases. Hmm, betting on a shrinking drug supply for an expanding universe of addicts, all in highly leveraged markets. Who knew that would work?
Of course, you have to have that kind of money to make that kind of money. ThinkProgress has the goods:
Forbes estimates that Tea Party petrochemical scions Charles and David Koch have a fortune of $25 billion each, making them the fourth richest Americans, behind only Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, and Larry Ellison. Their combined wealth of $50 billion is exceeded only by the Microsoft founder’s $59 billion fortune.The pre-windfall snapshot of the Koch Bros fortune comes via Forbes. The link goes to Charles Koch. It could easily have gone to David. Just double either man's holdings to see the combined Koch Bros stash.
It's now the fourth largest in the country — enough to bend nations, should they choose that route. Oh wait.
(So why do I keep thinking of Brawny, Northern, Dixie, and Georgia Pacific? Dunno. Maybe that just rolls off the tongue; easy to remember in a grocery store.)
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