Former Liverpool FC, Texas Rangers and Dallas Stars owner Tom Hicks dies aged 79

Texan businessman and philanthropist Tom Hicks, who simultaneously owned the NHL, Major League Baseball and English Premier League football clubs, died on Saturday. He was 79.

Hicks previously owned the Dallas Stars from 1995 to 2011 and the Texas Rangers from 1998 to 2010. He also acquired 50 percent ownership of Liverpool.

A news release from Hicks Holdings LLC said early Sunday morning that he died peacefully surrounded by his family in Dallas.

The 2022 inductee into the Texas Business Hall of Fame co-founded Hicks & Haas in 1984 and “was widely regarded as a pioneer in corporate America who reshaped private equity and introduced strategies that influenced an entire generation of investors,” according to a press release.

“Tom Hicks was an innovative businessman and a pioneer in the field of private equity,” said Texas businessman Ross Perot Jr. in the press release. “He combined his dedication to business and sports through his ownership of the Stars and Rangers.”

The Rangers under Hicks’ ownership won the American League West Division titles in 1998, 1999 and 2010, advancing to the World Series that season and losing to the San Francisco Giants in five games.

The Stars reached their zenith during his tenure from 1995 to 2011. Dallas won the Central Division in the 1996-97 and 1997-98 seasons and captured the Pacific Division for the next three seasons, as well as in 2002-03 and 2005-06. The Stars defeated the Buffalo Sabers 4-2 in the 1999 Stanley Cup Final.

Hicks is survived by his wife of 35 years, Cinda Cree Hicks, their six children and 14 grandchildren.

The children – Thomas Ollis Hicks Jr., Mack Hardin Hicks, John Alexander Hicks, Robert Bradley Hicks, William Cree Hicks and Catherine Forgrave Hicks – released a shared statement.

«Of all he accomplished in his remarkable life, Tom Hicks’ most cherished title was: ‘Dad.’ No matter the trials he faced in life, he was constant in his generosity and love for his family. He remains a guiding force for our family, and we are deeply honored to continue expanding his legacy. While we are devastated by this loss, we are deeply grateful to have been his children.”

Published on December 7, 2025