Diamondback Energy’s CEO Says It’s Good to be Viewed as a Permian Shale Takeover Target

Diamondback Energy Inc. Chief Executive Officer Kaes Van’t Hof says it’s “good to be in the conversation” as a possible takeover target after the shale driller’s own $32 billion acquisition spree.

Van’t Hof, who leads the biggest independent oil explorer in the Permian Basin, commented in response to a question from investor Dan Pickering during the PEP Energy Conference 2025 in Austin on Wednesday. Pickering, one of the architects of the shale revolution, called Diamondback the “crown jewel” of North America’s most prolific oil basin and said “it seems like the world thinks everybody wants to buy you.”