Trent and Tyler Leon are the Co-Founders of Tilden Capital. Today, their business, Tilden Capital, has deployed billions of dollars into oil & gas minerals, royalties, and non-operated positions across the Permian and other domestic basins.  

We talk about growing up in a golf-obsessed family, attending IMG Academy, and competing at the highest levels of amateur and professional golf—then making the decision to walk away and start something new.

We also cover:

- What they learned from life on the road as pro golfers

- How and when they knew it was time to pivot into business

- Early lessons from starting an oil and gas company from scratch

- The current outlook on the Permian Basin and broader energy trends

- How they build conviction around long-term bets and stay optimistic

- What it’s like working together as brothers and business partners

You’re in for a wide-ranging conversation about life, business, and the journey from competitive sports to entrepreneurship.

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Links:

Tilden Capital - http://www.tildencapitalllc.com/

Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson - https://a.co/d/ax5DRLz

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Topics:

(00:00:00) - Intro  

(00:04:16) - Trent and Tyler’s early childhood and developing a passion for Golf  

(00:15:36) - Moving to IMG Academy to pursue Golf  

(00:23:19) - The college recruiting process  

(00:31:54) - The parenting style that leads to 3 kids becoming Division 1 athletes  

(00:35:39) - Winning a national championship in college  

(00:41:25) - The realities of life as professional golfers  

(00:47:49) - The state of Oil and Gas  

(00:51:40) - The Permian Basin  

(00:55:18) - Trent and Tyler’s approach to buying mineral rights  

(00:58:08) - Drill Baby, Drill!  

(01:02:26) - Will AI play a part in drilling rigs?  

(01:04:10) - Running a lean team at Tilden  

(01:09:19) - Developing relationships in the industry  

(01:12:09) - Staying laser-focused  

(01:13:48) - 4-year predictions  

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The FORT is produced by Johnny Podcasts