Charles—who, along with his brother David, comprise the politically influential and obscenely rich duo in charge of Koch Industries—has financially backed Wichita State for years (the Shockers have played in Charles Koch Arena since 2003). Last December, the Kochs gifted $11.25 million to the school, with $4.5 million going to athletics. He and Marshall reportedly have a yearly meeting to discuss the “state of the program.” (To be clear, Koch is not Wichita State’s athletic director or university president.) So, of course, he played a hand in convincing Marshall not to take an enticing interview at Alabama. Marshall’s base salary stood at $1.85 million a year; Koch organized a group of boosters and raised that to about $3 million, according to the Wichita Eagle. The Shockers keep the best coach they’ve ever had, and he gets a top-10 salary. Everyone’s happy. Most importantly, Charles Koch is happy.
