Sooner Private Financial LLC

The office was founded by Tom L. Ward, who co-founded Chesapeake Energy in 1989 and was its CEO until 2006. He later launched American Energy Partners in 2013. Ward's wealth is derived from his stakes in these energy companies and related investments (per Wall Street Journal, 2015).

SPF invests directly in energy production assets, including oil and gas mineral rights, as well as private equity in energy services and industrial sectors. It also holds real estate and infrastructure assets. The firm does not operate a fund structure for outside investors; it deploys exclusively for the Ward family (per public record).

The firm operates as a single-family office serving solely the Ward family. It does not accept external capital or serve additional families, distinguishing it from multi-family offices in the region.

SPF focuses primarily on the United States, with particular concentration in the oil and gas regions of Oklahoma, Texas, and the Permian Basin. Real estate holdings are also US-based.

No. SPF is a private entity separate from Chesapeake Energy. Ward left the company in 2006 and founded American Energy Partners independently before establishing SPF. The office manages Ward's personal wealth and has no operational ties to his former companies (per public record).

The Tom and Judy Ward Foundation is active in Oklahoma, focusing on education, community development, and health. The foundation is funded by the family's wealth but operates independently from SPF.

The firm does not participate in venture capital or early-stage startups. Its focus is on mature energy assets, growth-stage private equity, and real assets.