Thomas Hicks was born in Houston, Texas. His family moved to Port Arthur, Texas, when his father purchased a small radio station, KOLE. By the age of 13, he had begun working at the station. At 15, he was a weekend disc jockey, earning $20 per week. He graduated in 1964 from Thomas Jefferson High School, where he lettered in football.
 
After high school, Hicks attended the University of Texas, where he studied finance. In 1968, he went to work at Continental Illinois in Chicago, where he helped set up a venture capital division. He earned a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Southern California in 1970.
 
Hicks began his career on New York’s famed Wall Street, working in the investment departments at Morgan Guaranty Trust Company and J.P. Morgan. In 25 years, he successfully raised more than $11 billion of private equity funds and more than $38 billion worth of leveraged acquisitions, including Dr. Pepper and Seven-Up Companies, A&W Brands, Inc., and Berg Electronics, Inc.
 
Hicks’ most significant successes have been in the two fields nurtured by his Port Arthur experiences: radio and athletics. Through Chancellor Media and Capstar Broadcasting, he created what was at the time the largest radio operation in the country (400 stations). In addition, he is the former owner of the National Hockey League’s Dallas Stars, winner of the 1999 Stanley Cup Championship, as well as former Chairman and Owner of the Texas Rangers. Hicks also serves on the Board of Directors of numerous corporations, including Chase Manhattan and LIN Television.