Dan Howard Wilks (born 1955 in Cisco, Texas) is an American billionaire businessman, entrepreneur, conservative political donor, and philanthropist. The son of a bricklayer, he grew up in a modest family environment in West Texas. Alongside his older brother Farris Cullen Wilks (born 1951 or 1952), he co-founded Wilks Masonry in 1995, a stone masonry company that followed in their father's footsteps and provided initial capital for their ventures. In 2002, the brothers established Frac Tech (also referenced as FracTech), an innovative hydraulic fracturing company that revolutionized oilfield services and the shale oil boom in the Permian Basin, making Dan Wilks a Texas fracking billionaire. They sold a majority stake in Frac Tech in 2011 to Sentinel Capital Partners for approximately $1.1 billion, retaining significant ownership until a full sale in 2015, which catapulted them to billionaire status. Dan Wilks' net worth is estimated at around $1.6 billion as of recent Forbes listings. Post-sale, the Wilks brothers have become major landowners through Wilks Brothers LLC, acquiring over 672,000 acres across six Western states (with over 200,000 acres in Texas for ranching, timber, and conservation purposes), making them the 12th-largest private landowners in the United States. Through their family foundation (the Dan and Farris Wilks Foundation) and vehicles like donor-advised funds, Dan Wilks has become a prolific conservative donor and evangelical Christian philanthropist, known for massive donations—contributing hundreds of millions—to evangelical Christian causes, faith-based initiatives, and conservative political advocacy. He actively funds evangelical and conservative initiatives, supporting right-wing causes and media outlets, political causes (including Ted Cruz's Senate campaigns), religious organizations, anti-abortion initiatives, and initiatives aligned with his faith, including evangelical, libertarian, and Republican endeavors. He is known for substantial contributions to conservative causes including education and media initiatives, having invested in media ventures such as financial backing for conservative commentator Ben Shapiro's Daily Wire and support for creationist museums like the Ark Encounter through Answers in Genesis. Wilks has been criticized by progressive groups for his role in the environmental impacts of fracking, though no major legal actions have been documented against him personally. Married to Rhonda Wilks, he resides in Cisco, Texas, and continues to influence conservative politics and evangelical networks through strategic giving, embodying a blend of rugged individualism and religious conservatism. Despite their success, the brothers maintain a low public profile, focusing on family, faith, and business expansion in energy and real estate.