A process provides a tops stream K containing more than 85% by weight of 2,4,4-trimethylpent-1-ene, wherein both an isomerization of 2,4,4-trimethylpont-2-ene to 2,4,4-trimethylpont-1-ene and a distillation to obtain the tops stream K are performed. The isomerization is at least partially fed with the bottoms stream of the distilation where a tops stream K is withdrawn overhead.

Isomerized olefin products are produced by contacting an olefin feed containing a C.sub.10 to C.sub.20 normal alpha olefin, a solid acid catalyst, and a C.sub.2 to C.sub.15 primary ester to form the isomerized olefin product. Typical primary esters used in the processes include formates and acetates. Linear olefin compositions are produced that contain at least 80 wt. % C.sub.10 to C.sub.20 linear internal olefins, less than 8 wt. % C.sub.10 to C.sub.20 normal alpha olefins, less than 8 wt. % dimers of C.sub.10 to C.sub.20 olefins, less than 15 wt. % C.sub.10 to C.sub.20 branched olefins, and at least 1 wt. % C.sub.2 to C.sub.15 primary ester and less than 8 wt. % secondary esters.