Who Is The Owner Of Dick's Sporting Goods

So, you’ve just spent a small fortune on a new fishing rod at Dick’s Sporting Goods, and now you’re standing in the parking lot, wrestling with the receipt and wondering: who actually owns this massive temple of soccer cleats and protein bars? You’re not alone. It’s the kind of question that pops up when you’re waiting in line, watching a dad argue with his kid over a $200 pair of basketball shoes.

The answer isn’t some shadowy billionaire you’ve never heard of. It’s a guy named Ed Stack. And before you ask, yes, his last name is literally “Stack,” which feels perfect for a guy who stacks profits from selling tents and treadmills. Ed is the executive chairman, and his family basically is the company.

Imagine your dad’s small hardware store, but with more neon sneakers and a massive popcorn machine. That’s how it started. Ed’s father, Dick Stack, opened a tiny bait-and-tackle shop in 1948 in Binghamton, New York. It wasn’t a mega-retailer then; it was a spot where old guys complained about the weather and bought worms.

From Worms to Warehouses

Ed took over in the 1980s, and he didn’t panic when Wal-Mart and big-box stores started showing up. Most family businesses would have folded—like a cheap tent in a windstorm. Instead, Ed had a hunch: people wanted expertise, not just cheap stuff.

He expanded carefully, buying out competitors and turning the chain into the go-to place for the cool team jackets you couldn’t get anywhere else. You know that feeling when you finally find your favorite baseball cap in your size? Ed built a company around that specific joy. He’s the guy who made sure you could buy a kayak and a baseball bat in the same trip.

Today, Ed Stack and his family own about 20% of the company’s stock. That might not sound like a lot, but it’s enough to make him the decider-in-chief. He doesn’t just sit on a board; he’s the guy who famously pulled guns from shelves after a mass shooting, even when it cost the company millions. That was pure Ed Stack—stubborn, principled, and a little bit brave.

Dick's Sporting Goods CEO who took stance on guns to step down

The "Whoa, That’s Personal" Moment

Here’s where it gets funny. Because the company is named after the founder’s actual nickname, “Dick,” you always imagine a guy named Dick who’s a total character—maybe someone who tells terrible puns and wears a loud Hawaiian shirt. But the real Dick Stack was a quiet, practical man who probably just wanted to sell you a fishing reel without any drama.

Ed, his son, is the opposite of flashy. He’s a grandfather-of-six type who still drives an old truck and reportedly checks his own email. There’s a story about a reporter spotting him on the sales floor, restocking soccer balls. That’s the vibe: the owner is the guy you’d trust to help you find the right pair of running shoes, not the guy who flies a private jet to a yacht.

You know how some CEOs are like those high-end espresso machines—complex, fragile, and impossible to understand? Ed Stack is more like a reliable, slightly beat-up camping stove. He works. He’s solid. He might not be trendy, but he’ll get the job done while you’re standing in the rain.

Dick's CEO Okay with $150 Million Loss over Gun Control Stance

Why This Matters When You’re Buying a T-Shirt

So, next time you’re in the checkout line, and the teenager behind the counter is scanning your $6.99 sweatband, remember that the owner is a guy who probably stacks boxes in the back on a slow Tuesday. That’s rare. Most big-box stores are owned by faceless corporations that feel like they’re run by robots from a faraway planet.

Dick’s Sporting Goods has a face: a guy named Ed, whose dad was named Dick, who started with a single fishing hook. It’s a little weird, a little wholesome, and it makes you feel like your shopping cart full of clearance rack treasures is part of a long, chaotic story.

And here’s the kicker: you can still buy stock in the company. Yeah, you can literally own a tiny piece of the store you just bought a new yoga mat from. That means, in a weird way, you could be a teeny-tiny co-owner with Ed Stack. Just don’t ask to join him for Thanksgiving dinner. That would be awkward.

So, who is the owner of Dick’s Sporting Goods? It’s a family, a bait shop—and a guy who bet on people wanting better gear and better decisions. And no, he doesn’t sell his own line of “Stack” branded protein shakes. But if he did, I’d probably try one. Because if there’s one thing I’ve learned from shopping there, it’s that the guy running the show usually knows what he’s doing—even if he looks like he just came from a yard sale.