Thomas Boone Pickens has passed away at the age of 91.

WFAA-TV reports that the former oil tycoon was surrounded by family when he died at his Dallas home Wednesday. He's suffered from strokes and falls in recent years and was receiving hospice care.

Pickens was born in Holdenville, Oklahoma in May of 1928, and moved to Amarillo with his family in the late 1930's. After attending Texas A&M and Oklahoma A&M, he worked for Phillips Petroleum before venturing out on his own and founding Mesa Petroleum.

Mesa's success allowed Pickens to start acquiring other companies in the 1980s, buying and selling his way to more riches. He founded hedge fund BP Capital Management in 1997.

In recent years, Pickens invested heavily in renewable energy projects, particularly wind. He eventually pulled away from wind after losing millions.

Pickens was involved in several controversies during his career, most notably a feud with 2004 Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry. Pickens offered $1 million to anyone who could disprove allegations that Kerry lied about his experiences during the Vietnam war.

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