Bill Pulte

William (Bill) Pulte (born c. 1932) is the founder and former chairman of Pulte Homes, one of the largest residential builders and real estate development companies in the United States, building over 500,000 homes since 1950 and operating in 53 markets in 27 states.

Biography

Early life

William Pulte was born in 1932. He attended De La Salle Collegiate High School in Detroit.

Career

In the summer of 1950, following his high school graduation, Pulte built his first house in Detroit, Michigan. The five-room bungalow featured a fireplace, seldom found in bungalows of the day, and sold for $10,000 even before its completion. Incorporated as William J. Pulte, Inc., in 1956, Bill began building custom homes in the Detroit suburbs.

In 1960, Bill Pulte built his first subdivision, 49 lots. In the mid-1960s he expanded his business into the Washington D.C. area, then into Chicago and Atlanta. As the decade progressed, his homebuilding business grew to 12 subdivisions in six states. In 1969, William J. Pulte, Inc. became Pulte Home Corporation and went public. Bill remained Chairman and President of the new public entity.