Ladd Drummond Net Worth

What is Ladd Drummond's net worth?

Ladd Drummond is an American cattle rancher, business owner, and reality TV star who has a net worth of $200 million. Most importantly to his net worth, Ladd Drummond is a member of one of the most prominent landowning families in the United States.

Ladd is best known to the public as the husband of Ree Drummond, the bestselling author, blogger, and Food Network star behind "The Pioneer Woman." Together, they have transformed life on their remote Oklahoma cattle ranch into a brand empire that draws millions of fans.

Beyond Ree's media success, the Drummond family is significant in its own right. They are the 23rd-largest private landowners in the United States, with approximately 433,000 acres across Oklahoma. That land base, equivalent to more than 675 square miles, makes the Drummonds the largest landowners in Oklahoma and puts them on par with some of the most famous ranching dynasties in the country. Over the years, the family has also earned tens of millions of dollars through government contracts, primarily for maintaining wild horses on their pastures under agreements with the Bureau of Land Management.

Early Life

Ladd Drummond was born in Nebraska and raised in a ranching family that had already been in Oklahoma for several generations. He grew up alongside his brothers, Todd and Tim. Tragedy struck when his oldest brother Todd was killed in a car accident at the age of 18, just before he was to start college. The loss left a deep mark on the family.

Ladd went on to attend Arizona State University, where he graduated before returning to the family business. By then, ranching was not just a career path but part of his heritage. As a fourth-generation cattle rancher, Ladd inherited both the responsibility and the tradition of managing large herds on sprawling prairie land.

Family Wealth/Land Holdings

The Drummond land empire traces back to Frederick Drummond, a Scottish immigrant who settled in Osage County in the late 1800s and founded Drummond Land & Cattle Co. Frederick married Kansas native Addie Gentner, and together they raised three sons who each became successful cattle ranchers. Over time, their descendants built the business into one of the largest privately owned ranching enterprises in the country.

Today, Ladd and his brother Tim Drummond are among the key owners of Drummond Land & Cattle Co. Although the extended Drummond family controls the full 433,000 acres, official records show that the core company is held by a small number of family members. At various points, it has been described as a privately held corporation owned by just four people.

The scale of their ranch is almost impossible to comprehend. If Drummond land were a city, it would rank among the top 10 largest in the country by area. If it were a state park, it would dwarf anything else in Oklahoma. Cattle ranching remains the main operation, but the family has also diversified. Ladd was already managing cattle when he met Ree, whose eventual fame brought new attention to the ranch. Together, they expanded into tourism and hospitality ventures in Pawhuska, Oklahoma.

In 2016, they opened The Mercantile, a restaurant, bakery, and retail store in a restored 100-year-old building. In 2018, they launched The Boarding House, a cowboy-themed bed and breakfast, followed by P-Town Pizza and Charlie's Sweet Shop, an ice cream parlor. While Ree is the face of these businesses, Ladd has been deeply involved in the development and management of these projects, which have revitalized the small town of Pawhuska.

Government Royalties

One of the least romantic but most profitable aspects of the Drummond family business comes from federal government contracts. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) pays large private landowners to provide pasture for surplus wild horses and burros removed from public lands in the West. With their vast acreage, the Drummonds are major participants in this program.

On average, Drummond Land & Cattle Co. receives about $2 million per year from the federal government for maintaining wild horses. Since 2006, records show the family has collected more than $33 million in total from the BLM. These payments are in addition to millions more in farm subsidies and agricultural support programs that different branches of the Drummond family have qualified for over the years.

The arrangement has occasionally drawn scrutiny, as it highlights how public money helps sustain some of the nation's largest ranching families. But for the Drummonds, it is simply one more way to make use of their extensive pastures while contributing to a federal animal protection effort.

Monica Schipper/Getty Images

Personal Life

Ladd met Ree Drummond in the mid-1990s in a bar near her hometown. Ree had recently moved back to Oklahoma after college and several years in Los Angeles, and she was planning to attend law school in Chicago. Her plans changed after meeting Ladd, the "Marlboro Man," as she later called him.

The couple married on September 21, 1996, in a ceremony marked by one telling anecdote: during the reception, Ladd disappeared into the men's locker room to watch his alma mater, Arizona State, face off against Nebraska, then the defending national champions. ASU pulled off a stunning upset, and Ladd celebrated both his wedding and the football win in the same night. The newlyweds honeymooned in Australia before settling down on the ranch near Pawhuska.

Together, they raised four children on the ranch:

• Alex (born 1997) – a graduate of Texas A&M University.
• Paige (born 1999) – a student at the University of Arkansas.
• Bryce (born 2002) – pursued college football.
• Todd (born 2004) – the youngest, also involved in sports.

The Drummond children were homeschooled for much of their education. Life on the ranch revolved around chores, homeschooling, and family traditions, including the family's enthusiastic participation in fantasy football leagues.

Ladd has also appeared frequently on The Pioneer Woman television series, which premiered on the Food Network in 2011 and has run for more than 25 seasons. While Ree is the star of the show, Ladd has become a familiar face to viewers as the hardworking rancher who keeps the cattle operation running.

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