Friday, July 17, 2026

Reality Star in Texas Poised to Become America’s Richest Oil Mogul

From Bloomberg When Autry Stephens struck out on his own in 1996 to pursue oil riches, he named his one-rig outfit Big Dog Drilling Co. Twenty years on, the moniker seems prophetic. Stephens, 80, owns the largest closely held oil producer in Texas by production volume, Endeavor Energy Resources LP. The Midland-based firm has suitors including Exxon Mobil Corp. and Chevron Corp.