Monitoring the most powerful family in West MI: The DeVos Family Reader – July 2026 edition

It has been roughly 9 months since I last update the . As always, there has been plenty to report on regarding the most powerful family in West Michigan.

In Howard Zinn’s monumental book, A People’s History of the United States, he constantly juxtaposes the amazing things that people did to fight for liberation and the people behind the systems of oppression that social movements were fighting against.

This is exactly why I have spent years monitoring, investigating and critiquing the DeVos Family. They are the most recognizable and powerful manifestation of the systems of power and oppression in West Michigan. Now, I know there are plenty of people who share the belief that without the DeVos Family, Grand Rapids wouldn’t be where it is today. I fully agree with that belief, but for reasons that are the exact opposite of those who hold the most powerful family in West Michigan in high regard.

This updated version of the DeVos Family Reader includes information and analysis on a variety of local issues, even some that are not directly focused on the DeVos Family, but there are connections.

There were a total of 25 articles involving the DeVos family since the last time I updated the DeVos Family Reader, with 5 of those being my annual information on the 5 separate DeVos Family Foundations, which you can find here. The other 20 articles are listed below in chronological order. The DeVos Family Reader is now up to 888 pages.

Further evidence of how much the DeVos family has their tentacles in all things Grand Rapids https://griid.org/2025/10/26/further-evidence-of-how-much-the-devos-family-has-their-tentacles-in-all-things-grand-rapids/

Rockford (Construction) will likely get the contract for a housing development project next to the Amway Stadium https://griid.org/2025/12/12/rockford-construction-will-likely-get-the-contract-for-a-housing-development-project-next-to-the-amway-stadium/

Campesinos reclaim some communal lands in Mexico that Amway has been using for their Nutrilite product line https://griid.org/2025/12/15/campesinos-reclaim-some-communal-lands-in-mexico-that-amway-has-been-using-for-their-nutrilite-product-line/

State board OKs $561M tax incentive to billionaire Amway families for 3 tower project: Mayor LaGrand celebrates this decision https://griid.org/2025/12/22/state-board-oks-561m-tax-incentive-to-billionaire-amway-families-for-3-tower-project-mayor-lagrand-celebrates-this-decision/

Doug DeVos re-introduces his dad’s book Believe, trashes socialism and thinks the country was founded on the principles of free enterprise https://griid.org/2026/01/14/doug-devos-re-introduces-his-dads-book-believe-trashes-socialism-and-thinks-the-country-was-founded-on-the-principles-of-free-enterprise/

Griffins hockey team President who made a racist and homophobic statement works for the DeVos/Van Andel families https://griid.org/2026/02/05/griffins-hockey-team-president-who-made-racist-and-homophobic-statement-works-for-the-devos-van-andel-families/

Doug DeVos and revisionist history of Grand Rapids since 1976: How the Capitalist Class always tries to control the narrative https://griid.org/2026/02/16/doug-devos-and-revisionist-history-of-grand-rapids-since-1976-how-the-capitalist-class-always-tries-to-control-the-narrative/

New Hotel proposal for Grand Rapids once again demonstrates that expanding the wealth of the rich takes priority over housing for working class families https://griid.org/2026/03/15/new-hotel-proposal-for-grand-rapids-once-again-demonstrates-that-expanding-the-wealth-of-the-rich-takes-priority-over-housing-for-working-class-families/

AI and data centers are not a problem if God is involved, says Doug DeVos and his fellow believers https://griid.org/2026/03/17/ai-and-data-centers-are-not-a-problem-if-god-is-involved-says-doug-devos-and-his-fellow-believers/

Expanding their wealth and control over auto sales: DeVos-owned Fox Motors acquires even more auto dealerships in West Michigan https://griid.org/2026/04/09/expanding-their-wealth-and-control-over-auto-sales-devos-owned-fox-motors-acquires-even-more-auto-dealerships-in-west-michigan/

Rick DeVos and his family have been coming for you and your children for a very long time https://griid.org/2026/04/28/rick-devos-and-his-family-have-been-coming-for-you-and-your-children-for-a-very-long-time/

DeVos-led GR A250 group is offering a class from the National Constitution Center on “Happiness in America’s Founding” https://griid.org/2026/05/02/devos-led-gr-a250-group-is-offering-a-class-from-the-national-constitution-center-on-happiness-in-americas-founding/

Two speakers, two war criminals and the DeVos family: Econ Club annual dinner will celebrate members of the Capitalist Class https://griid.org/2026/05/04/two-speakers-two-war-criminals-and-the-devos-family-econ-club-annual-dinner-will-celebrate-members-of-the-capitalist-class/

Monitoring the Rich and Powerful in Grand Rapids – Segment #11: Dick DeVos says God loves work, plus a Housing Summit featuring wealthy developers https://griid.org/2026/05/07/monitoring-the-rich-and-powerful-in-grand-rapids-segment-11-dick-devos-says-god-loves-work-plus-a-housing-summit-featuring-wealthy-developers/

DeVos acolyte justifies the Crusades, genocide and Islamophobia in an article entitled, When Did We Stop Subduing the Earth? https://griid.org/2026/05/21/devos-acolyte-justifies-the-crusades-genocide-and-islamophobia-in-an-article-entitled-when-did-we-stop-subduing-the-earth/

Deconstructing the comments from Dick DeVos after his family received an award at the Econ Club’s annual dinner on Tuesday https://griid.org/2026/06/05/deconstructing-the-comments-from-dick-devos-after-his-family-received-an-award-at-the-econ-clubs-annual-dinner-on-tuesday/

DeVos-led group GR A250 continues to want to control the narrative about the history of the US https://griid.org/2026/06/15/devos-led-group-gr-a250-continues-to-want-to-control-the-narrative-about-the-history-of-the-us/

Doug DeVos is endorsing a new book, which tells us exactly what he really believes in https://griid.org/2026/06/17/doug-devos-is-endorsing-a-new-book-which-tells-us-exactly-what-he-really-believes-in/

Resisting the narratives about Grand Rapids from the DeVos dominated GR A250 committee https://griid.org/2026/06/21/resisting-the-narratives-about-grand-rapids-from-the-devos-dominated-gr-a250-committee/

The DeVos/Van Andel Three Towers project will now get millions in public funding after a recent Michigan Legislative vote https://griid.org/2026/07/06/the-devos-van-andel-three-towers-project-will-now-get-millions-in-public-funding-after-a-recent-michigan-legislative-vote/

Pickleball tournament going on now in GR, so how is the DeVos family connected? https://griid.org/2026/07/08/pickleball-tournament-going-on-now-in-gr-so-how-is-the-devos-family-connected/