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1888 Investments
1888 Investments is the family office for Charles and David Koch, managing wealth across real estate, private credit, and co-investments.
1888 Investments
1888 Investments was established as a family office to manage the personal wealth of Charles and David Koch. Charles Koch co-founded Koch Industries, one of the largest privately held corporations in the U.S., while David Koch was a co-owner until his death in 2019. The firm's name references the year Charles Koch's father, Fred C. Koch, founded the company that became Koch Industries. The office invests across real estate, private credit, and illiquid markets. Its holdings include a mixed-use private real estate portfolio in the United States and a cryptocurrency strategy. 1888 co-invested with Pierre Omidyar's Ohana Holdings in X5 OpCo LLC. Geographic focus centers on the U.S. with a tilt toward alternative asset classes. Trent May serves as the key investment leader. Chase Koch, son of Charles, is involved in related philanthropic vehicles. The office runs an Illiquid Markets 1888 Fund, LLC based in Denver, Colorado. Philanthropic arms include the Charles Koch Foundation and Stand Together Trust. 1888 Investments operates as a direct-investing family office rather than a fund-of-funds. Its willingness to co-invest with other families—demonstrated by the X5 OpCo deal with Ohana Holdings—distinguishes its structural approach from single-family offices that invest in isolation.
General information
Firm type
Family Office
Year founded
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AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
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Country
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City
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Corporate office
—
Principals
Charles Koch
Founder
David Koch
Founder (deceased 2019)
Trent May
Key investment leader
Chase Koch
Family Member
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at 1888 Investments?
Trent May is the key investment leader architecting 1888's strategy. Charles Koch and the late David Koch are founders. Chase Koch, Charles's son, is involved with related entities (per Altss research).
How does 1888 Investments source proprietary deal flow?
The office co-invests alongside other families, such as Pierre Omidyar's Ohana Holdings in X5 OpCo LLC. It also holds illiquid assets directly in vehicles like the Illiquid Markets 1888 Fund, LLC (per Altss research).
Is 1888 Investments structured as a single family office or does it operate more like a venture firm?
1888 operates as a single family office managing the Koch family's personal wealth. It makes direct investments and co-investments rather than committing through external venture funds (per Altss research).
Does 1888 Investments participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?
The firm primarily makes direct investments and co-investments, as seen in its real estate portfolio and the X5 OpCo deal. There is no public evidence of fund-of-funds commitments (per Altss research).
What investment stages does 1888 Investments typically target?
1888 focuses on illiquid and alternative asset classes including private credit, real estate, and cryptocurrency. Stage preference is not publicly specified, but holdings suggest a long-term horizon (per Altss research).
Which sectors does 1888 Investments explicitly avoid?
No publicly documented sector exclusions exist. The known portfolio concentrates on real estate, credit, crypto, and co-investments—outside typical tech venture stages (per Altss research).
Where does the underlying wealth come from?
Wealth originates from Koch Industries, the privately held conglomerate co-founded by Charles and David Koch. The family office manages a portion of that wealth independently (per Altss research).
Does 1888 Investments maintain philanthropic structures, and how are they separated?
Yes. The Charles Koch Foundation and Stand Together Trust are separate philanthropic entities. They are not part of 1888 Investments but share family backing (per Altss research).
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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