6666 Part 4 | Hollywood Buys the Legend

POST 4 of 4 | HOLLYWOOD BUYS THE LEGEND

After 150 years in one family, the 6666 hit the market for the first time in its history.

The twist: the family chose to let it go.

When Anne Marion died of lung cancer on February 11, 2020 (a few outlets said the 12th), she left a living daughter. But her will did not pass the working ranch down the line. It ordered the ranch SOLD, with the money going to her charitable foundation.

In December 2020, the 6666 was listed for a jaw-dropping $347.7 million, the exact figure her will named. The package was enormous: three West Texas divisions totaling about 266,255 acres. That is bigger than the entire city of San Antonio.

The buyer? A group fronted by Taylor Sheridan, the Texas-raised creator of the smash TV series Yellowstone, which had already filmed on the ranch. The deal went under contract in 2021 and officially closed on January 21, 2022.

Now, two things we want you to be skeptical about, because the internet sure was not:

ONE, the price. That $347.7 million was the LISTING price. The actual sale price was never made public. Estimates floating around range from $192 million all the way past $320 million. Anyone quoting you a hard number is guessing.

TWO, the “group.” Reporting pointed to deep pockets behind Sheridan, most often naming the studio Paramount and investor Ron Burkle, and sources said the deal nearly fell apart more than once. Credible reporting, but never officially confirmed. Treat it as “reported,” not “proven.”

The new owners promised to keep the employees and keep the cattle and horse operations running, exactly as Marion’s will required. Sheridan has since used the ranch on screen and announced a spin-off series called 6666.

And that is how a brand that came home on 100 borrowed cows, that was NOT won in a poker game, became a Texas legend, a horse dynasty, and finally a piece of Hollywood history.

Thanks for riding along with The Alliance Gazette. Miss the start? Part 1 is on our page.

Sources: The Texas Spur; Fort Worth Report; Fort Worth Business Press; CultureMap; AOL / Lubbock Avalanche-Journal; Texas State Historical Association.