Covering business in Dallas is a front-row seat to momentum. In 2025, North Texas continued to prove why it has become one of the most compelling business markets in the country—where capital moves fast, ambition runs high, and the stories don’t fit neatly into one industry or lane. From philanthropy reshaping neighborhoods to billion-dollar bets in entertainment, sports, and technology, the region’s leaders kept giving us something rare in business journalism: narratives that are both locally rooted and nationally relevant.
That energy showed up in our readership. This year marked a breakout period of digital growth for D CEO, as more readers than ever turned to us online to understand who’s shaping North Texas—and how.
The stories that topped our charts weren’t just about scale or status—they were about ambition, personality, and place. Consider this our year-end Wrapped: the most-read business stories of 2025, and a snapshot of why covering Dallas has never been more fun—or more consequential.
No. 1: Mark Cuban, Jerry Jones Join 100 Other Dallas Investors to Launch $5 Million Nonprofit Fund
Topping our charts, the most popular business story this year was on the launch of a new $5 million GreenLight Fund backed by more than 100 local investors—including Mark Cuban and Jerry Jones—to bring social impact programs to North Texas. The Dallas chapter is the nonprofit’s 15th national site and aims to tackle persistent challenges tied to racial, social, and economic inequities by partnering with community leaders and scaling solutions that have worked elsewhere.
Led locally by Founding Executive Director Shareea Woods, the effort is also backed by corporate and philanthropic heavyweights like Bank of America, Texas Instruments Foundation, SMU, and the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas. — story by Ben Swanger
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No. 2: How Fernando De Leon Quietly Built a $10 Billion Empire
Our most-read profile this year pulled back the curtain on one of Dallas’ most elusive power players. In a rare, deeply reported look, D CEO chronicled how Fernando De León quietly built a business empire valued at roughly $10 billion—largely outside the spotlight and without the hype that often accompanies wealth at that scale. The story traced his rise from modest beginnings to becoming a dominant force across logistics, real estate, and global trade. — story by Audrey Henvey
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No. 3: Former Common Desk Execs Aim to Disrupt the Private Country Club Business
Former Common Desk founder Nick Clark and former head of real estate Dawson Williams are developing a family-focused private club in Dallas’ Lake Highlands, reimagining the traditional country club model to center on children and parents rather than golf and tennis. The project—a roughly $36 million build-out of a 50,000-square-foot former office building on E. Northwest Highway—has already drawn applications from hundreds of families and plans to begin community programming well before its expected early-2027 opening.
Recently dubbed Stonethrow, the club aims to flip the conventional country club formula by offering amenities and programming designed for families with young kids. — story by Ben Swanger
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No. 4: Patrick Dumont Reveals His Vision for the Mavericks
The most popular story from D CEO‘s City of Champions publication examined the behind-the-scenes mechanics of Mark Cuban’s sale of the Dallas Mavericks to the Adelson family—a deal that sent shockwaves through global sports and business circles. Those ripples grew into a seismic shift when Patrick Dumont, the franchise’s new governor, greenlit the trade of Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers, marking one of the most consequential moments in the team’s history.
The report details how Cuban and the Adelson family connected, why Cuban ultimately chose them as buyers, and what the ownership transition means for the Mavericks’ future. In an in-depth interview, Dumont laid out his business plan for operating the NBA franchise, including long-term thinking around a new arena and the potential for a casino-adjacent development. — Story by Ben Swanger
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No. 5: Meet the DFW Leaders Among the World’s Richest People
This year’s Forbes’ billionaires list was filled with North Texans. D CEO examined the list and summarized all North Texans in one post. The story details how each person came into their wealth and which local leaders are brand new to the list. — Story by Ben Swanger
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No. 6: Power Couples 2025: Inside the Lives of the Region’s Most Influential Duos, by D CEO Editors | Read Here
No. 7: Colossal Becomes First Private Startup Founded in Texas to Earn $10 Billion Valuation, by Ben Swanger | Read Here
No. 8: Taylor Sheridan Opens Texas’ Largest Film Studio at Hillwood’s AllianceTexas in Fort Worth, by Christine Perez | Read Here
No. 9: JSX Was Just Named the Best Airline in the Country, by Will Maddox | Read Here
No. 10: Don’t Say No to Tiffany Derry, by Ben Swanger | Read Here