Chris Wright

Christopher Allen Wright
Born	(1965-01-15) January 15, 1965 Colorado, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Engineer, entrepreneur, government official
Years active	1992–present
Known for	17th United States Secretary of Energy, CEO of Liberty Energy

Christopher Allen Wright (born January 15, 1965) is an American engineer, entrepreneur, and government official currently serving as the 17th United States Secretary of Energy since 2025. Before assuming this role, he was the chief executive officer of Liberty Energy, the second-largest company specializing in hydraulic fracturing in North America. Additionally, Wright held board positions at Oklo Inc., a company focused on nuclear technology, and EMX Royalty Corp., which manages Canadian mineral rights and mining rights royalties.

On November 16, 2024, President-elect Donald Trump put forward Wright’s nomination for the position of U.S. Secretary of Energy. The Senate confirmed his appointment on February 3, 2025, by a vote of 59–38. Wright officially took office that same day.

Early and personal life

Born in Colorado in 1965, Chris Wright earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and a master's degree in electrical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He also completed additional graduate coursework in electrical engineering at MIT and the University of California, Berkeley. Wright and his wife Liz make their home in Englewood, Colorado.

Business

Wright established Pinnacle Technologies in 1992 with a focus on commercial production of shale gas through fracking, serving as its CEO until 2006. Prior to that year, he chaired Stroud Energy, another shale gas firm, which he eventually sold. In 2011, he launched Liberty Energy (previously Liberty Oilfield Services), which was valued at billions by February 2023 according to The Wall Street Journal. In 2023, Wright’s compensation as CEO of Liberty Energy amounted to $5.6 million.

In a public demonstration in 2019, Wright consumed fracking fluid to assert its safety while promoting "greener selections" for chemical additives through Liberty Energy. On LinkedIn in January 2023, he declared that "There is no climate crisis and we're not in the midst of an energy transition," dismissing the global climate movement as "collapsing under its own weight" and criticizing the phrase "carbon pollution."

From January 2020 through April 2024, Wright served on the board of directors for the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City Denver Branch.

In April 2024, Wright testified opposing the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's climate change disclosure mandate requiring companies to report on greenhouse gas emissions, physical climate risks, and transition risks. He labeled the regulation as unlawful and contended that risks from extreme weather events are declining, citing decreases in cold-related fatalities.

Wright has also been a board member at Oklo Inc., which designs small-scale fast-neutron reactors, and EMX Royalty Corp., a Canadian entity managing royalty payments tied to mineral and mining rights.

Government service

On November 15, 2024, the Financial Times identified Wright as the frontrunner for the role of United States Secretary of Energy under President Donald Trump’s second term. During 2024, he contributed $228,390 to Trump’s joint fundraising committee. Republican Senator John Barrasso commended Wright as an "energy innovator," while endorsements also came from Trump supporters such as Thomas Pyle, president of the American Energy Alliance, and Harold Hamm, chairman of Continental Resources.

The following day, November 16, 2024, President-elect Trump formally announced Wright’s nomination for U.S. Secretary of Energy and membership on the National Energy Council, pending Senate approval. The nomination was approved by the United States Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources with a vote of 15–6 on January 23, 2025. The full Senate confirmed him by a margin of 59–38 on February 3, 2025; Wright was sworn into office that same day.