- Source: William J. Pulte
William John Pulte (May 16, 1932 – March 7, 2018) was the founder and chairman of PulteGroup, one of the largest home construction and real estate development companies in the United States.
Early life
William John Pulte was born on May 16, 1932, in Ann Arbor, Michigan, to Marguerite Hannah (née Lynch) and William Pulte. His father was an insurance adjuster. He attended De La Salle Collegiate School in Detroit. He was a three sport varsity athlete in football, track and basketball.
Career
In 1950, just after graduating high school, William J. Pulte and 5 friends built a 5-room bungalow near Detroit City Airport, which they sold for US$10,000.
In 1956, he founded William J. Pulte Inc. In 1959, he built his first subdivision, Concord Green in Bloomfield Hills. In the 1960s, he expanded his company Pulte Homes beyond Michigan into Washington, D.C., Chicago and Atlanta. He took the company public in 1969. By the 1980s, it was operating in 11 states with revenues of US$294,000,000 and by 1995, it was the largest homebuilder in the United States. It became a Fortune 500 company in 1999. In 2001, the company acquired Del Webb Corporation, a retirement community builder. He retired in 2010.
In 2016, after Richard Dugas Jr., the former chief executive officer of the company, moved the headquarters of the company from Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, to Atlanta and initiated a change in direction for the company, Pulte, who owned 9% of the company at the time, pressured Dugas to resign. Dugas resigned, and the stock price fell 6.57%.
Philanthropy
Pulte was a benefactor of Angel Fund, an organization for struggling families in Detroit. He also donated to Detroit's Cornerstone Schools.
Personal life
Pulte had 14 children. He divorced his first wife, and married Karen Koppal in 1993. Pulte died at his home in Naples, Florida, on March 7, 2018, aged 85.