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It’s Business as Usual for This American Billionaire’s Russian Ops

At least three companies owned by Charles Koch have continued to do business in Russia as other companies distance themselves, according to a report.

In response to Vladimir Putin’s calamitous invasion of Ukraine, companies from Chanel to McDonald’s to Netflix have shuttered, at least for now, their Russian operations. But there has been one particular holdout raising eyebrows, Judd Legum reports in his Popular Information newsletter: Koch Industries. The sprawling conglomerate, which is run by billionaire and right-wing darling Charles Koch of Koch Brothers notoriety, owns at least three companies that continue to hum along, such as it were, in the virtual pariah state. One company owned by Koch, Guardian Glass, operates two plants in Russia. As of March 4, a spokesperson said Guardian’s employees in Russia remained on the job. Two others, Molex Connectors, a manufacturer of electronic components sold throughout Russia, and Koch-Glitsch, which supplies the chemical and petroleum industries with industrial products, have also kept the lights on as others flee, if not for economic or moral reasons, then so as to maintain their reputations.