
Charlie Kirk was only a teenager when he launched a scrappy conservative student group out of his parents’ suburban Illinois home. A decade later, that group—Turning Point USA—has grown into a political juggernaut, generating nearly a half-billion in total revenue in the 13 years since its inception, creating a sprawling network of campus chapters, and building a media machine that rivals legacy establishments.
On Sept, 10, Kirk, a husband and father of two, was shot and killed at a Turning Point event at Utah Valley University. He was 31 years old. His death has ignited conspiracy theories, calls for gun control, and a nationwide political debate over his legacy. But it has also left the future of his formidable conservative business and non-profit enterprises hanging in the balance.