# Jeffery Hildebrand

Jeffery Hildebrand (born 1959) is an American billionaire businessman. He is the founder, chairman, and former chief executive officer (CEO) of Hilcorp Energy Company from 1989 until 2018.

## Education

Jeffery Hildebrand was born in Texas in 1959. His father was a veterinarian.
Hildebrand received a bachelor's degree in geology from the University of Texas at Austin in 1981. After working briefly at Exxon as a geologist, he obtained a master's degree in petroleum engineering in 1985 from the same university. He is also recognized as a distinguished engineering graduate of the University of Texas at Austin's Cockrell School of Engineering.

## Career

Hildebrand worked for the American Energy Capital Corporation, the Dan A. Hughes Company, and Exxon Company, until he founded Hilcorp Energy Company, an oil and gas exploration and production company. He co-founded Hilcorp in 1990 and later bought out his partner for $500 million in 2003. His company has been ranked on Fortune Magazine's 100 Best Companies to Work For list in 2013, 2014 and 2015. In December 2015, his company gave all 1,380 employees a $100,000 Christmas bonus. Hilcorp has the highest greenhouse gas emissions of any U.S. oil and gas company.
Hildebrand is a member of the All American Wildcatters, the National Petroleum Council, the Engineering Advisory Board at University of Texas at Austin, the Independent Petroleum Association of America, the Houston Energy Finance Group, the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, the Society of Petroleum Engineers, the Houston Geological Society, the Texas Independent Petroleum Royalty Owners Association, and the Louisiana Independent Oil and Gas Association.
In February 2018, Hildebrand stepped down as CEO of Hilcorp, passing the position to Greg Lalicker.
According to Forbes, Hildebrand is worth US$10.2 billion as of July 2023. He is the 77th richest American citizen. He was worth $1.9 billion in 2010. His success has been attributed to his ability to recognize other companies’ underperforming assets and subsequently re-managing them.
In April 2020, Governor Greg Abbott named Hildebrand to the Strike Force to Open Texas – a group "tasked with finding safe and effective ways to slowly reopen the state" amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
In August 2023, Governor Greg Abbott appointed Hildebrand as Chair of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Commission, effective August 31, 2023.

## Memberships

Hildebrand is a member of the following organizations.
* Society of Petroleum Engineers
* American Association of Petroleum Geologists
* National Petroleum Council

## Philanthropy and political contributions

Hildebrand has made charitable contributions to the Houston Zoo and the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston. He was a major donor to Texas A&M's Hildebrand Equine Complex.
In November 2017, Hildebrand donated $25 million to the Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. In recognition, the university plans to name the department the Hildebrand Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering.

## Political contributions

Hildebrand donated $50,000 to Rick Perry during the 2010 Texas gubernatorial election. Together with his spouse, Hildebrand contributed $1.2 million to Donald Trump's 2020 presidential campaign.
A devout Catholic, Hildebrand has contributed millions of dollars to various Christian organizations, charities, and ministries. As a result, Hildebrand often references a favorite Bible verse, "To whom much is given, much will be required" (Luke 12:48).

## Personal life

Hildebrand is married and has three children. He and his wife are both practicing Catholics. Hildebrand and his family live in Houston, Texas. He also plays polo.