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

11,040,039 Citations
1,821,402 Relationships
299,628 People
133,105 Organizations
85,359 Business People
38,746 Businesses
21,867 Political Fundraising Committees
14,195 Academics
12,682 Lobbyists
12,142 Lawyers
12,128 Public Officials
11,135 Political Candidates
9,284 Private Companies
6,405 Elected Representatives
6,030 Other Not-for-Profits
5,694 Government Bodies
5,530 Media Personalities
4,466 Schools
3,578 Philanthropies
3,541 Public Companies
2,205 Individual Campaign Committees
2,157 Membership Organizations
1,889 Other Campaign Committees
1,829 Lobbying Firms
1,290 Law Firms
1,179 Industry/Trade Associations
897 Consulting Firms
891 PACs
832 Policy/Think Tanks
765 Government-Sponsored Enterprises
731 Public Intellectuals
604 Media Organizations
540 Government Advisory Bodies
493 Cultural/Arts
448 Political Parties
384 Academic Research Institutes
331 Professional Associations
324 Labor Unions
252 Social Clubs
233 Public Relations Firms
111 Elite Consensus Groups