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.


Get started on a new map

sign up for a LittleSis account

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

10,961,972 Citations
1,805,313 Relationships
296,098 People
131,832 Organizations
84,952 Business People
38,402 Businesses
21,732 Political Fundraising Committees
14,150 Academics
12,678 Lobbyists
12,010 Lawyers
11,952 Public Officials
11,044 Political Candidates
9,216 Private Companies
6,234 Elected Representatives
5,964 Other Not-for-Profits
5,658 Government Bodies
5,460 Media Personalities
4,451 Schools
3,571 Philanthropies
3,509 Public Companies
2,205 Individual Campaign Committees
2,138 Membership Organizations
1,891 Other Campaign Committees
1,824 Lobbying Firms
1,271 Law Firms
1,171 Industry/Trade Associations
881 Consulting Firms
864 PACs
822 Policy/Think Tanks
750 Government-Sponsored Enterprises
714 Public Intellectuals
591 Media Organizations
533 Government Advisory Bodies
493 Cultural/Arts
441 Political Parties
375 Academic Research Institutes
324 Professional Associations
319 Labor Unions
252 Social Clubs
231 Public Relations Firms
111 Elite Consensus Groups