Early Life
Daniel Bruce Gilbert was born on January 17, 1962. He was raised in Detroit, Michigan. He attended Michigan State University and received a B.A. degree. He then went on to Wayne State University where he received a Juris Doctor degree.
Rise to Success
Gilbert's career began in 1985 when he founded Rock Financial while attending law school. The company was later acquired by Intuit in 1999 and rebranded as Quicken Loans. Gilbert reacquired the business in 2007 and transformed it into a dominant national lender. In August 2020, Quicken Loans went public as Rocket Companies.
Key Business Strategies
Gilbert's success is attributed to his strategic embrace of technology and a direct-to-consumer approach in the mortgage industry. Rocket Mortgage became the largest mortgage lender in the U.S. by volume. He has also expanded the company's offerings to include real estate and personal finance services.
Philanthropy
Gilbert and his wife, Jennifer, are actively involved in philanthropy. They established the Gilbert Family Foundation in 2015. The foundation supports research into neurofibromatosis and has invested heavily in Detroit's revitalization.