Bill Maher celebrates David Koch's death with vile jokes — and the audience loves it

Bill Maher celebrated the death of billionaire David Koch on "Real Time" Friday night, telling his audience that he is "glad" Koch died and that he hoped "the end was painful."

"Yesterday David Koch, of the zillionaire Koch brothers, died of prostate cancer. I guess I'm going to have to re-evaluate my low opinion of prostate cancer," Maher said, drawing applause from the crowd.

"He was 79, but his family says they wish he could live longer, but at least he lived long enough to see the Amazon catch fire," he added. "Condolences poured in from all the politicians he owned, and mourners have been asked in lieu of flowers to just leave their car engines running. As for his remains, he's been asked to be cremated and have his ashes blown into a child's lungs."

"Now, I know these may seem like harsh words and harsh jokes, and I'm sure I will be condemned for them on Fox News, which will portray Mr. Koch as a principled libertarian who believed in the free market," Maher continued.

"He and his brother have done more than anybody to fund climate-science deniers for decades, so f**k him. The Amazon is burning up," Maher said. "I'm glad he's dead and I hope the end was painful."

Monologue: Get On My Lawn | Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO)youtu.be

Maher was not the only high-profile liberal to celebrate Koch's death. Others, like Bette Midler, rejoiced over Koch's passing.

However, although the media will remember Koch for funding Republican politicians and conservative causes, Koch would be more aptly remembered as a libertarian who both advocated for a free market and socially liberal causes. Indeed, in 2004, Koch declared himself a "social liberal."