The third Koch brother, lesser-known Bill, is building a Wild West-style faux-town in Colorado—and you can’t go. Well, unless you’re a Koch, a friend of the Kochs, or a historian. The town, which is being built on a 420-acre valley on Koch’s 6,400-acre Bear Ranch property in Gunnison County, will be completely private. Around 50 buildings—including a church, a saloon, a firehouse, a jail, and a 22,000-foot mansion overlooking the town—have been approved by the county. “It’s the kind of stuff I guess you would expect a billionaire to construct,” said Ramson Reed, chairman of the Gunnison County Planning Commission. Koch is a of Western memorabilia, recently purchasing a $2.3 million photo of Billy the Kid at an auction. The town will be a showcase for much of Koch’s collection, which also includes Jesse James’ gun and Sitting Bull’s rifle. Some of Koch’s friends call him “Wild Bill.”
Via