Brothers Farris and Dan Wilks grew up here in a converted goat shed amid the ranchlands. They seemed destined to spend their lives in their father’s masonry business. They had little money to spare and didn’t show much interest in politics.
Then, one day in 2002, they decided to invest in a once-obscure branch of the natural gas business known as “fracking.” Before long, two things changed: The brothers became fabulously wealthy, and election laws were upended by the Supreme Court.
By the time the Wilks brothers sold their company, Frac-Tech, in 2011, they both were billionaires. This year, seizing upon the opportunity presented by loosened election laws, they have made a new investment: the race for the presidency.Therein lies a story that is redefining the way democracy is practiced in America — to some, it is a breakthrough for free speech; to others, a dire threat to fair elections.