T
he Texas Pacific Land Corp.'s fortunes have shifted from shale to artificial intelligence, with its stock surging 230% this year, now valued at around $40 billion. This surpasses long-standing Texas companies like Halliburton and American Airlines. Founded to manage land tied to failed railroad ventures, the company's 873,000 acres in the Permian Basin are now a hub for AI-driven digital infrastructure, including renewable energy projects, Bitcoin mining, and data centers.

    CEO Tyler Glover notes that the firm is well-positioned to provide land and water solutions as demand grows. The Permian Basin's cheap energy supply, often resulting in negative prices due to excess natural gas production, makes Texas Pacific Land Corp.'s land an attractive option for data center operators seeking low-cost electricity. Goldman Sachs predicts a 170% jump in U.S. data center power demand by 2030, driven by AI technologies like ChatGPT.

    Big Tech firms have committed over $200 billion to data centers and related infrastructure in 2025, according to Bloomberg data. Texas Pacific Land Corp.'s holdings already generate nearly $100 million per quarter from royalties and an additional $80 million from water sales and fees. Other companies operating in the Permian Basin are also benefiting, with LandBridge Company's valuation soaring as investors eye the region for its digital infrastructure potential.

    "This is the AI-adjacent pick and shovel trade," said Kevin Simpson, CEO of Capital Wealth Planning. "These valuations aren't obscene if the data center thesis plays out."