Harold Glenn Hamm is an American business magnate, the self-made billionaire Founder and Chairman of Continental Resources, a major oil and natural gas company. Born in Lexington, Oklahoma, in 1945, he was the 13th and youngest child of cotton sharecroppers, growing up in poverty.

Hamm's career began humbly: at age 16, he started working at a gas station to support his family, later taking the physically demanding job of mucking out oil tanks at a refinery. He dropped out of college (attending Phillips University) to start his career as a wildcatter—a term for someone who drills risky wells in unmapped geological formations, hoping to discover oil. This commitment to self-reliance and high-stakes risk defined his career.

Harold Hamm founded the Shelly Dean Oil Company (later Continental Resources) in 1967. His strategic genius was pioneering the development of the Bakken oil field in North Dakota and Montana, leveraging the innovative techniques of horizontally drilled wells and hydraulic fracturing (fracking) to unlock vast, unconventional oil reserves. This technical mastery and strategic risk-taking transformed the U.S. energy landscape and secured his multi-billion dollar fortune.

The company successfully executed its IPO and became one of the largest independent oil producers in the U.S. Hamm is a prominent Republican political donor and a vocal critic of the Biden administration's energy policies. He famously donated $10 million to the University of North Dakota's College of Engineering and Mines to create the Harold Hamm School of Geology and Geological Engineering, a major gift from a non-alumnus.

Harold Hamm's social impact is structural, stemming from Continental Resources' role in driving U.S. energy independence through the shale revolution. His pioneering work in fracking created thousands of high-value energy jobs and lowered domestic energy costs.

His philanthropic commitment to the Harold Hamm School of Geology ensures the long-term development of petroleum geology and engineering talent in the U.S. His career is a powerful narrative of a school dropout who leveraged high-stakes risk and industrial innovation to become a titan of the global energy sector.

Harold Hamm maintains the professional, rugged style of a self-made oil executive. His attire is consistently formal and high-quality, favoring tailored suits, often paired with a classic Western aesthetic. His aesthetic reflects stability and immense industrial authority.

Residing in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, his luxury is the immense security and financial reward derived from his multi-billion dollar fortune. His life is dedicated to oil and gas exploration, energy independence, and his commitment to Republican politics and geological education.