Billionaire industrialist and conservative mega-donor David Koch has died at age 79, according to New Yorker reporter

Mark Lennihan / AP Images

• Billionaire industrialist and conservative donor David Koch has died, family sources told New Yorker reporter Jane Meyer. 
• David Koch and his brother Charles Koch have donated billions to an extensive network of conservative sources.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Billionaire conservative donor and industrialist David Koch has died, family sources have told New Yorker reporter Jane Meyer.

Meyer tweeted Friday morning that she had been told Koch had died. Her 2016 book Dark Money focussed on the influence of the Kochs on American politics. 

Koch, 79, and his brother Charles, are among the most influential figures in the conservative movement in the US in recent years, having donated billions to a network of conservative organisations. 

In 2018, David Koch retired from his roles at Koch Industries because of ill health. 

A representative for Koch Industries did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.