Charlie Koch

Market Manager of Commercial Banking & Director of Treasury Management, National Bank Hldgs

Search every verified Charlie Koch interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. In a September 2021 interview on “Axios on HBO,” 85-year-old Charles Koch discussed his reasons for continuing to work. Koch said he is motivated by a desire to contribute each day, stating, “What keeps me going is, ‘oh I think I can contribute today.’” He described his daily routine of waking before 6:00 a.m. and arriving at the office by 7:00 a.m., and said he works out for about an hour and a half every afternoon or evening. Koch attributed his drive to finding meaning in life, citing Viktor Frankl and Abraham Maslow, and said he dedicates himself to learning and applying principles daily. Koch also commented on retirement, saying that people who “retired and just fool around” would not sustain him, adding, “I wouldn’t last a year. I’d been dead long ago.” He emphasized the importance of working both mind and body, referencing his alma mater MIT’s motto “mind and hand.”