LittleSis* is a free database of who-knows-who at the heights of business and government.

* opposite of Big Brother
We're a grassroots watchdog network connecting the dots between the world's most powerful people and organizations.

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Map the power with Oligrapher

Oligrapher is a new tool for visualizing networks of influence using LittleSis Data.


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A unique resource for investigating cronyism, conflicts of interest, and systemic corruption.

An involuntary facebook of the 1%

We bring transparency to influential social networks by tracking the key relationships of politicians, business leaders, lobbyists, financiers, and their affiliated institutions. We help answer questions such as:

  • Who do the wealthiest Americans donate their money to?
  • Where did White House officials work before they were appointed?
  • Which lobbyists are married to politicians? Who do they lobby for?

All of this information is public, but scattered. We bring it together in one place. Our data derives from government filings, news articles, and other reputable sources. Some data sets are updated automatically; the rest is filled in by our user community. More Features

Names behind the news

Who are the movers and shakers behind the bailouts, government contracts, and austerity policies? We’re working around the clock to stock LittleSis with information about bigwigs who make the news, and their connections to those who don’t. For updates and analysis visit our blog, Eyes on the Ties

Made for watchdogs

We're bringing together a community of watchdogs who believe in transparency and accountability where it matters most. We're looking for journalists, researchers, programmers, artists and organizers to lend a hand.

Think and do tank

LittleSis is a project of Public Accountability Initiative, a 501(c)3 organization focused on corporate and government accountability. We receive financial support from foundations and benefit from free software written by the open source community.

The code powering LittleSis is free & open source.

Data Summary

9,884,558 Citations
1,634,675 Relationships
280,410 People
118,937 Organizations
79,306 Business People
34,423 Businesses
19,776 Political Fundraising Committees
13,647 Academics
12,482 Lobbyists
10,850 Lawyers
10,674 Public Officials
9,803 Political Candidates
8,140 Private Companies
5,811 Elected Representatives
5,105 Government Bodies
5,034 Other Not-for-Profits
4,701 Media Personalities
4,261 Schools
3,435 Philanthropies
3,205 Public Companies
2,173 Individual Campaign Committees
1,841 Other Campaign Committees
1,836 Membership Organizations
1,687 Lobbying Firms
1,093 Law Firms
1,029 Industry/Trade Associations
646 Consulting Firms
619 PACs
619 Policy/Think Tanks
512 Public Intellectuals
438 Cultural/Arts
434 Media Organizations
373 Government-Sponsored Enterprises
353 Political Parties
324 Government Advisory Bodies
294 Labor Unions
270 Professional Associations
199 Social Clubs
191 Academic Research Institutes
184 Public Relations Firms
75 Elite Consensus Groups