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

10,916,781 Citations
1,793,759 Relationships
294,330 People
129,902 Organizations
84,602 Business People
38,073 Businesses
21,713 Political Fundraising Committees
14,125 Academics
12,670 Lobbyists
11,885 Lawyers
11,848 Public Officials
11,003 Political Candidates
9,180 Private Companies
6,200 Elected Representatives
5,876 Other Not-for-Profits
5,592 Government Bodies
5,412 Media Personalities
4,429 Schools
3,562 Philanthropies
3,483 Public Companies
2,203 Individual Campaign Committees
2,130 Membership Organizations
1,890 Other Campaign Committees
1,818 Lobbying Firms
1,244 Law Firms
1,161 Industry/Trade Associations
862 Consulting Firms
821 PACs
786 Policy/Think Tanks
730 Government-Sponsored Enterprises
696 Public Intellectuals
573 Media Organizations
527 Government Advisory Bodies
483 Cultural/Arts
437 Political Parties
370 Academic Research Institutes
321 Professional Associations
316 Labor Unions
249 Social Clubs
228 Public Relations Firms
109 Elite Consensus Groups