When you walk into a Dick’s Sporting Goods, you’re looking at a retail empire that basically shouldn't exist in the age of Amazon. Yet, it does. And the man behind it, Ed Stack, has a bank account that proves physical retail isn't dead—it just needed a backbone.
As of early 2026, Ed Stack's net worth is estimated to be approximately $5.6 billion. That's a massive number. It’s also a number that fluctuates wildly based on how many people are buying pickleball paddles or North Face jackets on any given Tuesday. Most of that wealth isn't sitting in a vault like Scrooge McDuck; it’s tied up in millions of shares of DKS stock.
Why the $5.6 Billion Figure Isn't Just a Guess
You’ve probably seen different numbers floating around. Some sites say $2 billion, others say $5 billion. Honestly, the discrepancy usually comes down to whether they are counting just his direct stock holdings or the total wealth of the Stack family trusts.
As the Executive Chairman and the guy who turned two small stores in upstate New York into a Fortune 500 juggernaut, Ed Stack remains the largest individual shareholder of Dick’s Sporting Goods. He owns roughly 13.93 million shares. At a recent stock price hovering around $216 per share, his direct stake is worth roughly **$3 billion** on its own.
But wait, there's more.
The Stack family uses a dual-class share structure. This is a fancy way of saying Ed and his inner circle hold Class B shares that carry 10 votes per share. Even though he stepped down as CEO in 2021—handing the reins to Lauren Hobart—he still effectively controls the company. When you control the voting power of a $13 billion revenue machine, your "worth" extends far beyond your brokerage account balance.
The Breakdown of the Money
- DKS Equity: Over $3 billion in direct and indirect shares.
- Annual Compensation: In the 2024-2025 fiscal cycle, his total compensation package was north of $15.5 million.
- Dividends: Dick's is a dividend-paying stock. With nearly 14 million shares, Ed pulls in tens of millions a year just in "mailbox money."
- Real Estate & Other Assets: He has a long-standing seat on the board of KeyCorp and significant holdings in the Pittsburgh area, including a residence in Sewickley, Pennsylvania.
It Started with a $300 Loan (Really)
Ed Stack didn't start at the top.
His father, Richard "Dick" Stack, started the business in 1948 with a $300 loan from his grandmother. For decades, it was just a local bait-and-tackle shop in Binghamton. In 1984, Ed and his siblings bought the company from their father. It only had two stores back then.
Think about that.
He took a tiny family business and scaled it to over 850 locations. He took it public in 2002. That’s where the real wealth explosion happened. If you had bought DKS stock at its IPO and held it until today, you’d be looking at a return that would make most Silicon Valley investors blush.
The Risk That Almost Tanked the Net Worth
In 2018, Ed Stack did something that most billionaire businessmen would consider financial suicide.
Following the Parkland school shooting, he decided Dick’s Sporting Goods would stop selling assault-style rifles and high-capacity magazines. He also raised the firearm purchase age to 21.
People were furious.
Boycotts were organized. Employees quit. Analysts predicted the stock would crater and Ed Stack's net worth would vanish. Initially, sales did take a hit—about $150 million in lost revenue.
But then something weird happened.
The company’s "brand heat" went through the roof. They replaced the hunting aisles with more profitable categories like team sports and private-label apparel (like the DS&G and CALIA brands). The stock didn't just recover; it tripled over the following years. Ed Stack proved that sometimes taking a moral stand is actually the best long-term business move.
What Most People Miss About the 2026 Outlook
Retail is brutal.
Right now, the big talk in the industry is about "shrink" (theft) and the shift to e-commerce. While other retailers are closing doors, Stack has doubled down on "House of Sport" locations. These are massive, 100,000-square-foot stores with rock climbing walls and batting cages.
It’s an expensive gamble.
If these mega-stores fail, his net worth takes a direct hit. But so far, the "experience retail" model is the only thing keeping foot traffic alive. As long as people want to try on shoes before they buy them, Ed Stack's billions are relatively safe.
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Managing Your Own "Retail" Strategy
You might not have $5 billion, but there are a few things we can learn from how Ed Stack managed his wealth and his company:
- Skin in the Game: Stack didn't diversify away from his company the moment it went public. He kept the vast majority of his wealth in the business he built.
- The Pivot: He wasn't afraid to ditch a failing or controversial department (like hunting) to focus on high-growth areas (like women’s athletic wear).
- Governance Matters: By maintaining voting control through Class B shares, he protected the company from short-term pressure from Wall Street, allowing him to make the 2018 firearm decision without being fired by the board.
If you’re tracking the net worth of titans like Ed Stack, the best way to stay updated is to watch the SEC Form 4 filings. These are the public documents that show every time he buys or sells a share. In early 2025, for example, he sold about $37 million worth of stock—not because the company was failing, but because even billionaires need a bit of liquid cash.
Keep an eye on the quarterly earnings reports for Dick’s Sporting Goods. As the primary shareholder, Ed Stack's fortune is effectively a mirror of the American consumer's appetite for sports and outdoors. When the economy tightens, his net worth is the first thing to feel the squeeze, but as history shows, he's pretty good at navigating the rapids.