VNOM 8-K
Viper Energy, Inc. (VNOM)
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM
CURRENT REPORT
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Item 5.02 Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.
On September 15, 2026, the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of Viper Energy, Inc. (the “Company”) increased the size of the Board by one director and appointed John Grotzinger to serve as a director (the “Appointment”). Dr. Grotzinger will hold office until the 2027 annual meeting of the Company’s stockholders and his successor has been elected and qualified, or until his earlier death, resignation, retirement, disqualification or removal. Following the Appointment, the full Board consists of nine directors. Dr. Grotzinger has not been appointed to any committee of the Board.
Dr. Grotzinger has over 40 years of experience in geology, geobiology, and planetary science. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and currently serves as the Harold Brown Professor of Geology at the California Institute of Technology, a position he has held since 2021. Previously, Dr. Grotzinger served as Division Chair of Geological and Planetary Sciences at the California Institute of Technology from 2014 to 2024 and as Chief Scientist of NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover mission from 2007 to 2014. He has served on the advisory board of Halliburton Labs since 2020 and previously served on the Shell Science Advisory Board from 2014 to 2019. Dr. Grotzinger received a Bachelor of Science in geology from Hobart College in 1979, a Master of Science in geology from the University of Montana in 1981 and a Ph.D. in geology from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in 1985.
As a non-employee member of the Board, Dr. Grotzinger will be compensated in accordance with the Company’s non-employee director compensation program, as disclosed in the Company’s definitive proxy statement on Schedule 14A filed by the Company with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on April 8, 2026. In addition, he will receive a pro-rated annual restricted stock unit award to reflect his partial year of service. The Company entered into an indemnification agreement with Dr. Grotzinger, in the same form entered into with the other directors of the Company.
There are no arrangements between Dr. Grotzinger and any other person pursuant to which Dr. Grotzinger was selected as a director. There are no transactions involving the Company requiring disclosure under Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K in connection with the Appointment.
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
| VIPER ENERGY, INC. | |||
| Date: | September 16, 2026 | ||
| By: | /s/ Teresa L. Dick | ||
| Name: | Teresa L. Dick | ||
| Title: | Chief Financial Officer, Executive Vice President and Assistant Secretary | ||