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Sorfis Investments
The Wilks brothers founded Frac Tech Services in 2002, building a hydraulic fracturing sand and logistics provider that rode the shale boom to thousands...
Sorfis Investments
The Wilks brothers founded Frac Tech Services in 2002, building a hydraulic fracturing sand and logistics provider that rode the shale boom to thousands of wells across Texas and the Great Plains. In 2011 they sold a 70% stake to a consortium including Temasek Holdings for $3.5 billion, crystallizing one of the largest liquidity events in the oilfield services sector of that era. Sorfis Investments was formed to manage that liquidity and the family's expanding non-operating interests from a headquarters in Houston. Sorfis deploys across direct real estate, energy royalties, private equity and media. The office owns over 720,000 acres of ranchland, primarily in Montana and Idaho, making the Wilks brothers among the top 20 private landowners in the United States (per The Land Report, 2024). Energy holdings include mineral and royalty interests across the Permian, Eagle Ford and Bakken formations. On the media side, Sorfis provided early-stage capital to The Daily Wire and maintains significant ownership in conservative media properties. The geographic footprint concentrates on the Rocky Mountain West, Texas and the Midcontinent. Team size and internal structure are not publicly disclosed. The office is known to self-perform acquisitions without intermediaries and avoids fund commitments in favor of direct control positions. In May 2021, the Wilks brothers consolidated their media holdings by backing Ben Shapiro's expanded role at The Daily Wire, signaling continued appetite for ideologically aligned content platforms. Philanthropic activity channels through the Thirteen Foundation, which supports religious liberty and free-market education initiatives. The office's insistence on buying assets outright — land, mineral rights, media platforms — rather than investing through funds or alongside institutional GPs creates a structural profile closer to a private holding company than a traditional family office. This cash-buyer posture reduces counterparty dependency and aligns with the Wilks family's preference for permanent, non-marked-to-market holdings.
General information
Firm type
Single Family Office
Year founded
—
AUM
$1B – $5B (Altss estimate)
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Houston
Corporate office
Houston, TX, United States
Principals
Dan Wilks
Principal
Farris Wilks
Principal
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at Sorfis Investments?
Dan and Farris Wilks are the principals and ultimate decision-makers. The brothers built and sold Frac Tech Services together and have continued to co-manage the family's capital through Sorfis since the 2011 liquidity event. No external CIO or investment committee structure has been publicly disclosed.
How does Sorfis source its real estate and land acquisitions?
Sorfis is known to self-perform acquisitions, purchasing large ranch and timber parcels through direct negotiation or limited-bid processes rather than relying on brokers or intermediary-led auctions. The office's cash-buyer reputation and willingness to close quickly give it an advantage with sellers seeking certainty of execution.
Does Sorfis Investments take outside capital or invest as a multi-family office?
No. Sorfis operates as a single-family office managing capital exclusively for the Wilks family. The office has never marketed itself as a multi-family platform or accepted external limited partners into any vehicle.
What is Sorfis's relationship to The Daily Wire?
Sorfis provided early-stage capital to The Daily Wire and the Wilks brothers remain significant equity holders in the conservative digital media company. The investment reflects a broader pattern of backing ideologically aligned media assets as part of the family's permanent capital strategy.
Where does the underlying wealth come from?
The Wilks fortune originates from Frac Tech Services, a hydraulic fracturing sand and logistics company the brothers founded in Cisco, Texas in 2002. In 2011 they sold a majority stake to a Temasek-led consortium for $3.5 billion, which remains the foundational liquidity event behind Sorfis Investments.
Does Sorfis participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?
The office overwhelmingly favors direct, control-oriented investments — land, mineral rights, and media platforms — and avoids traditional fund commitments. This self-directed approach eliminates management fees and gives the Wilks brothers permanent, unmediated ownership of every asset.
How is Sorfis related to the Thirteen Foundation?
The Thirteen Foundation is the Wilks family's primary philanthropic vehicle, funded by Sorfis principals. It channels grants toward religious liberty causes, free-market education organizations, and conservative policy groups, operating with a separate governance structure from the family office's investment activities.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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