Statement of Changes in Beneficial Ownership (Form 4)

FORM 4 Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b). Check this box to indicate that a transaction was made pursuant to a contract, instruction or written plan that is intended to satisfy the affirmative defense conditions of Rule 10b5-1(c). See Instruction 10.

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

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1. Name and Address of Reporting Person * Van't Hof Matthew Kaes 2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol Diamondback Energy, Inc. [FANG] 5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) __X__ Director _____ 10% Owner __X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below) Chief Executive Officer (Last) (First) (Middle) 500 WEST TEXAS AVENUE, SUITE 100 3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year) 03/01/2026 (Street) MIDLAND, TX 79701 4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed (Month/Day/Year) 6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line) _X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person ___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person (City) (State) (Zip) Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned

1.Title of Security (Instr. 3) 2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8) 4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5) 5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4) 6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4) 7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4) Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price Common Stock 03/01/2026 A 24,501(1) A $ 0 142,754 D Common Stock 03/01/2026 A 36,436(2) A $ 0 179,190 D Common Stock 03/01/2026 A 2,636(3) A $ 0 181,826 D Common Stock 03/01/2026 F 14,338(4) D $174.08 167,488 D Common Stock 03/01/2026 F 1,038(5) D $174.08 166,450 D Common Stock 03/01/2026 F 1,182(6) D $174.08 165,268 D Common Stock 03/01/2026 F 1,446(7) D $174.08 163,822 D Common Stock 03/01/2026 F 1,302(8) D $174.08 162,520 D Common Stock 03/01/2026 F 3,214(9) D $174.08 159,306 D Common Stock 03/01/2026 F 692(10) D $174.08 158,614 D

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Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)

1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)

2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security

3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)

3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)

4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)

5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4, and 5)

6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)

7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities (Instr. 3 and 4)

8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)

9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4)

10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)

11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)

Code

V

(A)

(D)

Date Exercisable

Expiration Date

Title

Amount or Number of Shares

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
Van't Hof Matthew Kaes 500 WEST TEXAS AVENUE SUITE 100 MIDLAND, TX 79701	X		Chief Executive Officer

Signatures

/s/ Matt Zmigrosky, as attorney-in-fact for Matthew Kaes Van't Hof		03/03/2026
**Signature of Reporting Person		Date

Explanation of Responses:

*	If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).
**	Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1)	These securities are restricted stock units, each representing a contingent right to receive one share of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the issuer. These restricted stock units were granted under the issuer's equity incentive plan and will vest in three equal installments beginning on March 1, 2026.
(2)	These securities are performance-based restricted stock units for the performance period from January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2025 that were granted under the issuer's equity incentive plan on March 1, 2023. All of these performance-based restricted stock units vested as of December 31, 2025 following the certification by the issuer's compensation committee of the applicable performance conditions for such performance-based restricted stock unit awards settling on March 1, 2026.
(3)	These securities reflect the vesting and settlement of the second tranche of the performance-based restricted stock units for the performance period from January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2021 that were granted under the issuer's equity incentive plan on March 1, 2019, as certified by the issuer's compensation committee, subject to continuous service requirements, vesting and settling in five substantially equal annual installments beginning on March 1, 2025. The number of shares were determined based on achieving 100% of target upon certification by the compensation committee of attainment of the applicable performance conditions on February 21, 2022.
(4)	The issuer withheld shares of common stock that would have otherwise been issuable to the reporting person to satisfy the issuer's tax withholding obligations in connection with the vesting and settlement of the performance-based restricted stock units granted on March 1, 2023 and vested as of December 31, 2025 following the certification by the issuer's compensation committee of the applicable performance conditions for such performance-based restricted stock unit awards settling on March 1, 2026. The number of shares of common stock withheld was determined based on the closing price per share of the issuer's common stock on February 27, 2025.
(5)	The issuer withheld shares of common stock that would have otherwise been issuable to the reporting person to satisfy the issuer's tax withholding obligations in connection with the vesting and settlement on March 1, 2026 of the second tranche of the performance-based restricted stock units granted to the reporting person on March 1, 2019. The number of shares of common stock withheld was determined based on the closing price per share of the issuer's common stock on February 27, 2026.
(6)	The issuer withheld shares of common stock that would have otherwise been issuable to the reporting person to satisfy the issuer's tax withholding obligations in connection with the vesting and settlement on March 1, 2026 of the third tranche of the time-based restricted stock units granted to the reporting person on March 1, 2024. The number of shares of common stock withheld was determined based on the closing price per share of the issuer's common stock on February 27, 2026.
(7)	The issuer withheld shares of common stock that would have otherwise been issuable to the reporting person to satisfy the issuer's tax withholding obligations in connection with the vesting and settlement on March 1, 2026 of the second tranche of the time-based restricted stock units granted to the reporting person on March 1, 2025. The number of shares of common stock withheld was determined based on the closing price per share of the issuer's common stock on February 27, 2026.
(8)	The issuer withheld shares of common stock that would have otherwise been issuable to the reporting person to satisfy the issuer's tax withholding obligations in connection with the vesting and settlement on March 1, 2026 of the second tranche of the time-based restricted stock units granted to the reporting person on May 21, 2025. The number of shares of common stock withheld was determined based on the closing price per share of the issuer's common stock on February 27, 2026.
(9)	The issuer withheld shares of common stock that would have otherwise been issuable to the reporting person to satisfy the issuer's tax withholding obligations in connection with the vesting and settlement on March 1, 2026 of the first tranche of the time-based restricted stock units granted to the reporting person on March 1, 2026. The number of shares of common stock withheld was determined based on the closing price per share of the issuer's common stock on February 27, 2026.
(10)	The issuer withheld shares of common stock that would have otherwise been issuable to the reporting person to satisfy the issuer's tax withholding obligations in connection with the vesting and settlement on March 1, 2026 of the second tranche of the time-based restricted stock units granted to the reporting person on March 1, 2019. The number of shares of common stock withheld was determined based on the closing price per share of the issuer's common stock on February 27, 2026.

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