I first met Bill Pulte in 11th grade at De La Salle High School in Warren, MI, and we quickly became friends. Even then, it was clear that Bill had no interest in following the traditional college path. While our teachers warned that skipping a degree would leave him digging ditches, Bill had a vision—and nothing was going to stop him from building homes.
By the time he was 21, Bill had already built several houses, proving he was on to something. So when he asked me to join his new business, I hesitated. But then someone gave me a simple but powerful piece of advice: “Hitch your wagon to a shooting star.” So I did. I took the leap—and soon found myself riding shotgun as employee #2 of PulteGroup, part of one of the most unconventional and successful homebuilding enterprises in the country.
Bill had a way of solving problems that was as fast as it was brilliant. When we struggled to get people to visit our subdivision, Concord Green, traditional signage wasn’t an option. I suggested putting a car with signs on a main road. Bill didn’t just run with the idea—he supercharged it. He bought a fleet of old cars, painted them green, and strategically parked them all over town, including in front of competitors’ developments.
That one move changed everything. We had sold only a few homes in the previous six months. But after Bill’s bold marketing play, we sold nearly 50 homes in the next six months. Sales skyrocketed, and even our competitors had to admire the genius of it.
Despite his growing success, Bill never lost his humility. He attended Mass every morning, no matter where he was, and believed in hiring people smarter than him in key areas—then giving them the freedom to do what they did best.
He also had a funny quirk: he never carried cash. More than once, we had to bail him out—like the time his car got stuck in an airport parking lot because he had no money to pay. At a class reunion golf outing, three of his credit cards got declined, and we had to cover for him so he could play. He just laughed it off, never worried about appearances or impressing anyone.
From a rebellious teenager to one of America’s most successful homebuilders, Bill Pulte proved that determination, faith, and simple yet brilliant thinking could reshape the landscape—literally. The boy once told he’d never amount to more than a ditch digger became one of the most influential builders in the country.
Through it all, Bill remained the same humble, faith-driven man—always finding a way to solve problems, lift others up, and, most importantly, have fun doing it.
