# Joseph Foran

> Joseph Wm. Foran is the Dallas-based founder, chairman and CEO of Matador Resources Company. An accounting graduate and lawyer, he began as an independent oil producer in 1983 with Nancy Foran and $270,000 from 17 friends and neighbors. After selling Matador Petroleum in 2003, he co-founded Matador Resources with Scott E. King; its shares began trading on the NYSE in 2012.

- **Role:** Founder, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer at Matador Resources Company
- **Organizations:** Matador Resources Company, Matador Petroleum Corporation, Foran Oil Company
- **From:** Mineral Wells, United States
- **Education:** B.S. in Accounting, with highest honors, University of Kentucky, J.D.; Hatton W. Sumners Scholar, Southern Methodist University School of Law
- **Known for:** Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year, Southwest Region (2002)., University of Kentucky Gatton College Alumni Hall of Fame (2015)., SMU Dedman School of Law Distinguished Alumni Award for Corporate Service (2019).

## Career timeline

- **1974** — Earned a B.S. in Accounting from the University of Kentucky.
- **1977** — Graduated from SMU School of Law.
- **1980–1983** — Vice President and General Counsel for J. Cleo Thompson and James Cleo Thompson, Jr., Oil Producers.
- **1983** — Founded Foran Oil Company with Nancy Foran; 17 friends and neighbors contributed $270,000.
- **1988** — Formed Matador Petroleum Corporation, incorporating Foran Oil Company.
- **2003** — Sold Matador Petroleum to Tom Brown, Inc.; co-founded Matador Resources Company with Scott E. King in July.
- **2012** — Matador Resources shares began NYSE trading on February 2.
- **2024** — Received D CEO’s Legacy Award for lifetime achievement.

## Achievements

- Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year, Southwest Region (2002).
- University of Kentucky Gatton College Alumni Hall of Fame (2015).
- SMU Dedman School of Law Distinguished Alumni Award for Corporate Service (2019).
- D CEO Upstream CEO of the Year (2019).
- Philosophical Society of Texas inductee (2020).
- D CEO Legacy Award for lifetime achievement (2024).

## Latest updates

- **2026-10** — On October 21, Matador increased its quarterly dividend to $0.4375 per share, a rounded 17% increase.
- **2026-10** — On October 1, Matador closed the Paloma Permian acquisition for $1.255 billion in cash, subject to customary post-closing adjustments.
- **2026-06** — Matador announced natural gas and NGL agreements with Energy Transfer intended to improve market access and pricing.
- **2026-04** — Matador announced Christopher Calvert as CFO and Glenn Stetson as COO, effective April 21; Foran remained chairman and CEO.

## Links

- Website: https://www.matadorresources.com/node/6131
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-foran-35b5667

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/joseph-foran
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-23