Dan and Farris Wilks
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Oil and gas, Hydraulic fracturing |
| Founded | 2002 |
| Founder | Daniel Howard Wilks, Farris Cullen Wilks |
| Fate | Majority stake sold in 2011 |
| Headquarters | Cisco, Texas , United States |
| Products | Hydraulic fracturing services |
Daniel Howard Wilks (born 1955 or 1956) and Farris Cullen Wilks (born 1951 or 1952) are entrepreneurs in the American oil sector. Originating from a working-class family—sons of a bricklayer—they initially established Wilks Masonry in 1995 before venturing into hydraulic fracturing with the creation of Frac Tech in 2002. Their sale of a 70% share in Frac Tech for $3.5 billion in 2011 elevated them to billionaire status. The brothers live in Cisco, Texas.
They are notable financiers of conservative initiatives, including investments in The Daily Wire and PragerU.
Early years
Raised in modest circumstances by Myrtle and Gwyn Voy Wilks in Cisco, Texas, the Wilks siblings experienced economic hardship during childhood. Their father worked as a bricklayer, and at one point, the family resided in a goat shed.
Assembly of Yahweh
Following a theological disagreement within the Ramsey Church of Christ in 1947, Voy Wilks’s father-in-law played a role in founding a new religious community that eventually became the Assembly of Yahweh. Voy Wilks assumed leadership later and is acknowledged as the founder of this group. Now identified as Assembly of Yahweh (7th day), this church is a conservative seventh-day Sabbatarian denomination that rejects Nicene Christianity and focuses on adherence to Old Testament practices. It maintains traditional stances opposing abortion and homosexuality.
Farris Wilks
Farris Wilks is married to Jo Ann and is the father of eleven children. He holds the positions of pastor and bishop within the Assembly of Yahweh (7th day) near Cisco. His sermons have openly criticized abortion rights and homosexuality.
Dan Wilks
Dan Wilks resides in Cisco, Texas, with his wife and their six children.
Frac Tech
The Wilks brothers launched Frac Tech, a hydraulic fracturing enterprise, in 2002. Their divestment of a 70% ownership interest in 2011 for $3.5 billion provided substantial capital that supported their later investment activities.
Idaho
Since at least 2016, Dan and Farris Wilks have accumulated extensive real estate assets in Central Idaho, predominantly within Ada, Boise, and Valley counties. Their entity, DF Development, controls approximately 75,000 acres divided among 306 parcels solely in Valley County, with total statewide holdings reaching near 200,000 acres. They have limited public access by erecting gates, constructing vehicle barriers such as ditches, posting no-trespassing notices, and terminating leases for roads and snowmobile trails—including an important public access corridor. The U.S. Forest Service has ruled some of these access restrictions unlawful. These limitations on activities like hunting, snowmobiling, firewood gathering, and passage have generated local discontent. A notable event occurred in 2017 when a security guard employed by DF Development forcibly removed an outdoorsman from Forest Road 409—a public road under Valley County's easement—underscoring conflicts over land access rights.
Montana
The Wilks brothers own roughly 341,000 acres across seven counties in Montana. Their largest property there is the N-Bar Ranch located in Fergus County.
Political activity
As reported by ProPublica (2024), Dan and Farris Wilks finance initiatives within Texas aimed at influencing the Texas State Legislature. Their support extends to think tanks, media organizations, political action committees, and nonprofit groups focused on ousting Republican legislators deemed unreliable.
Elections and campaigns
- The Wilks brothers invested $15 million in a super PAC backing Texas U.S. Senator Ted Cruz during his 2016 presidential run.
- In 2016, they provided $50,000 to Jeff Judson’s unsuccessful primary campaign against Republican Speaker Joe Straus in Texas House District 121.
- Their contributions to Donald Trump's 2020 presidential bid totaled $300,350.
- Farris Wilks donated $75,000 toward Jeff Cason’s 2020 Republican primary campaign for Texas State House District 92.
- The Defend Texas Liberty PAC, funded by the Wilks brothers, gave more than $3 million to Don Huffines' 2022 campaign for Texas governor.
Political media
Dan and Farris Wilks were among the initial investors in conservative media ventures, supporting political commentator Ben Shapiro’s enterprise The Daily Wire in 2015. They also provided early financial backing to Prager University, a media organization founded by Dennis Prager aimed at engaging young conservative viewers. Furthermore, they are significant contributors to the conservative advocacy organization Empower Texans.
Advocacy groups
Farris Wilks has donated close to $3 million to WallBuilders. His support extends to "Texans United for a Conservative Majority," Empower Texans, the Heritage Foundation, and Focus on the Family.