Texans possess an innate ability to look at a piece of dirt and see far more than meets the eye. Edna Ferber sensed this when she created the character of Jett Rink, so memorably portrayed by a moody James Dean in the epic Giant. Richard King and Mifflin Kenedy lived it. The two riverboat pilots created neighboring cattle kingdoms in the Wild Horse Desert. Both exist to this day. So does Tom Temple’s empire — but not in his name. His 7,000-acre purchase in 1893 became the timberland holdings that now rank third on the Texas Ten. Want some more examples? Read on.

No. 1 Texas Pacific Land Corporation

882,000 Acres

The largest private landowner in the Lone Star State, TEXAS AND PACIFIC RAILWAY COMPANY focuses on land, water, and energy holdings in 22 Texas counties. Originally chartered
by the federal government to build a transcontinental railroad in 1871, the company went bankrupt in 1888. The 3.5 million acres it had been awarded were placed in a trust. Today, TPL bills itself as a pure play in the resource-rich Permian Basin. In the first quarter of 2026, it had oil and gas royalty production of 37,100 barrels of oil equivalent per day. Other revenue sources in the pipeline include water desalination and land sales involving data centers and power generation.

KING 55 The cornerstone Santa Gertrudis sire was born in 1970.

No. 2 King Ranch Heirs

836,000 Acres

On December 1, King Ranch presented its fall bull sale. This marked the first public offering of a bull crop by the Birthplace of American Ranching in more than 20 years. Each bull was bred to thrive in the harsh subtropical climate of the WILD HORSE DESERT, home of King Ranch for more than 170 years. In the early 20th century, King Ranch began developing the SANTA GERTRUDIS breed, a specific genetic blend of 5/8 Beef Shorthorn and 3/8 Brahman. The foundation sire, Monkey, was born in 1920. (See page 43). The breed was recognized by the USDA as the first American beef cattle breed in 1940.

TREE TOPS. Caddo Sustainable Timberlands is the largest private timberland owner in Texas.

No. 3 Caddo Sustainable Timberlands

831,000 Acres

The overwhelming majority of the 903,000 acres owned by this partnership between BTG Pactual Timberland Investment Group (TIG) and British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (BCI) are located in East Texas. The remaining 70,000 acres are located in Western Louisiana. More than 30 percent of Caddo’s acreage is natural forestland. The company has five working forest- conservation easements totaling 23,421 acres. And 100 percent of its acreage is reforested after final harvest. This includes the planting of more than 8 million seedlings annually.

NORTHERN EXPOSURE. Briscoe Ranches acquired a portion of the historic Matador in 2021.

No. 4 The Briscoes

738,000 Acres

From 1973 to 1979, DOLPH BRISCOE JR. (1923–2010) served two terms as governor of Texas. While many Texans knew that Briscoe was a native of Uvalde, few realized that their governor was also the state’s largest individual landowner. The genesis of this empire can be attributed to the efforts of his father, DOLPH BRISCOE SR. (1890–1954). A native of Fulshear, the elder Briscoe wanted out of the soggy-bottom country in and around Fort Bend County. He got his way in 1939 when he purchased 35,000 acres of the Catarina Ranch. He would
subsequently acquire an additional 150,000 acres. Today, Dolph “Chip” Briscoe III oversees BRISCOE RANCH COMPANY. Like his namesakes, he, too, has grown the family’s holdings, most notably in 2021 with the purchase of the 41,077-acre Tee Pee City/Lucky Knob Division of the Matador Ranch.

RECORD SALE. Kelley’s Brewster Ranch now belongs to the Texas GLO.

No. 5 Brad Kelley

635,000 Acres

It took this Kentucky native more than two decades to cobble together the 422,952-acre BREWSTER RANCH in the rugged border country of Far West Texas. In 2024, it took $164.6 million for the Texas General Land Office (GLO) to take title to the biggest part of it — 353,785 acres — on behalf of the state’s Permanent School Fund. With the acquisition, the GLO literally regained lost ground in Texas’s largest county. Although it had at one time been a major landowner in Brewster County, at the time of the Brewster Ranch purchase, its holdings were down to 42,000 acres.

ARSENAL’S 14TH ENGLISH CROWN. Stan and Josh Kroenke join the celebration at Crystal Palace’s Selhurst Park.

No. 6 Stan Kroenke

580,000 Acres

Kroenke Ranches continues to grow its WAGGONER RANCH holdings, but the big news in 2025 was the acquisition of the 937,950-acre SINGLETON RANCHES in New Mexico from the heirs of Dr. Henry Singleton. Not only did the landmark transaction make Kroenke America’s largest landowner, but it ranked as the largest ranch sale in American history. Across the pond, Kroenke Sports and Entertainment scored a massive victory on May 24 when ARSENAL ended a 22-year drought by winning the Premier League title for the first time since 2004.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER. Blue Origin’s Rocket Park campus.

No. 7 Jeff Bezos

462,000 Acres

The Amazon founder launched his space-technology company, BLUE ORIGIN, in 2000. The organization has a nationwide footprint that includes a Seattle-area headquarters, a production facility adjacent to Cape Canaveral in Florida, and almost a half-million acres of rugged ranchlands in Culberson and Hudspeth Counties. Blue Origin’s West Texas command center has been christened LS1 — Launch Site One — by Bezos and his team. Situated on the historic CORN RANCH, LS1 has been the site of numerous launches of New Shepard, a fully reusable sub-orbital launch vehicle that has been successfully developed for space tourism.

PRESIDIO LA BAHÍA. Established in 1749, it was fully restored with the support of the Kathryn O’Connor Foundation.

No. 8 O’Connor Heirs

458,000 Acres

The distinguished legacy of this pioneering family is closely connected with critical aspects of Texas history. THOMAS O’CONNOR (1817–1887) was lured to Texas in 1834 by his uncle James Power with the promise of a league of land from the Republic of Mexico. Shortly after arriving, he joined the fight for Texas independence, signed the Goliad Declaration of Independence, and fought at the BATTLE OF SAN JACINTO. Today, his descendants, including T. MICHAEL O’CONNOR, engage in a variety of land-based enterprises. The Goliad County rancher recently partnered with The Nature Conservancy on a 6,600-acre conservation easement.

No. 9 Kenedy Ranch

425,000 Acres

A Pennsylvania Quaker by birth, MIFFLIN KENEDY (1818–1895) took a job as a clerk on a steamer as a teenager, worked his way up the ladder, and eventually became a steamboat captain and owner. Kenedy subsequently formed a legendary partnership with a fellow riverboat pilot, Richard King (see No. 2 King Ranch). Today, his great ranch is owned by two separate entities: the John G. and Marie Stella Kenedy Memorial Foundation and the John G. Kenedy Jr. Charitable Trust.

No. 10 Malone Mitchell 3rd

350,000 Acres

Oklahoma State alumni Malone and Amy Mitchell founded RIATA ENERGY in their guest bedroom with $500 in start-up capital. Two decades later, they sold their stake in Riata to Chesapeake Energy co-founder Tom Ward for $500 million. The Mitchells established their Longfellow Ranches as one of the finest hunting properties in Texas’s Trans-Pecos region. A full-service, 4,700-square-foot lodge welcomes guests.