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

Map the power with Oligrapher

Oligrapher is a 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

Eyes on the ties

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. Get Involved.

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

10,313,957 Citations
1,701,509 Relationships
287,006 People
123,527 Organizations
81,824 Business People
36,175 Businesses
20,975 Political Fundraising Committees
13,851 Academics
12,560 Lobbyists
11,289 Lawyers
11,221 Public Officials
10,511 Political Candidates
8,681 Private Companies
6,027 Elected Representatives
5,436 Other Not-for-Profits
5,341 Government Bodies
4,986 Media Personalities
4,349 Schools
3,479 Philanthropies
3,278 Public Companies
2,189 Individual Campaign Committees
1,997 Membership Organizations
1,874 Other Campaign Committees
1,755 Lobbying Firms
1,164 Law Firms
1,091 Industry/Trade Associations
759 Consulting Firms
721 PACs
680 Policy/Think Tanks
560 Public Intellectuals
544 Government-Sponsored Enterprises
497 Media Organizations
467 Cultural/Arts
422 Government Advisory Bodies
387 Political Parties
303 Labor Unions
302 Professional Associations
272 Academic Research Institutes
220 Social Clubs
212 Public Relations Firms
100 Elite Consensus Groups