William John Pulte (born May 28,1988) is an American businessman and philanthropist who has served as the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) since 2025. Pulte has also served as the chairman of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac since 2025.
Pulte is the Founder of Pulte Capital Partners (2011),an investment firm that focuses on home service businesses. In 2013,Pulte also founded The Blight Authority,a nonprofit that clears blighted homes. He studied broadcast journalism at Northwestern University. Pulte is the grandson of William J. Pulte,the founder of PulteGroup,a residential home construction company. Amid a leadership dispute,Pulte was named to PulteGroup's board in 2016,serving for a four year term. Since 2019,he has used Twitter as a platform for philanthropic donations.
In January 2025,president-elect Donald Trump named Pulte as his nominee for director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency. He was confirmed by the Senate in March.
Early life and education (1988–2010)
William John Pulte was born on May 28,1988,in Boca Raton,Florida.[1] He was the first son of Noreen and Mark Pulte.[2][a] Pulte's grandfather was William J. Pulte,the founder of PulteGroup,a residential home construction company.[3] In high school,Pulte worked for a construction company.[4] He graduated from Northwestern University with a bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism,[4] where he was the president of his university's chapter of Pi Kappa Alpha,in 2010. He started an aerial photography business during university.[2] At Northwestern University,Pulte met his wife,a chemical engineer.[4]
Career
Private equity (2011–present)
After graduating,Pulte interned for Huron Capital Partners and later worked for Penske Capital Partners.[4] Pulte founded his own investment firm,Pulte Capital,in 2011.[2] The company had two hundred employees and US$30 million in revenue by 2014. That year,he was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list.[5] Pulte estimated his net worth to be US$100 million in an interview with the Detroit Free-Press in December 2021.[4]
Pulte Group (2016–2020)
In March 2016,[6]William J. Pulte began a campaign to remove PulteGroup's chief executive,Richard Dugas Jr.[7] Dugas announced that he would resign the following month amid pressure from Pulte,his grandson,and Jim Grosfeld.[8] The younger Pulte was appointed to the board in September,[9] becoming one of the youngest board members of a Fortune 500 company.[2] Following the elder Pulte's death in 2018,he was the only descendant to receive an inheritance,according to a lawsuit.[3] Pulte remained on the board until 2020,after disagreeing with established board members.[4] During his tenure,he successfully blocked chief executive Ryan Marshall's proposal to promote Brandon Jones,the Michigan division president,to chief operating officer.[3] Pulte sued Jones in December 2022,claiming that he had been subject to harassment on Twitter.[3]
Philanthropy and nonprofit work
In 2019,Pulte began using Twitter as a platform for philanthropic efforts.[2] According to Pulte,he was inspired during a summer vacation[2] by Andrew Yang's pledge to give US$1,000 per month.[10] He has referred to himself as the "inventor of Twitter philanthropy." Pulte's posts often involve giveaways in which recipients must follow him,as well as promotional posts for GoFundMe campaigns. By August,he had established a team of ten people to work through charity requests.[2] Pulte brought attention to GoFundMe campaigns established for victims of the Oxford High School shooting[4] and the Uvalde school shooting.[11] By December 2022,he had garnered 3.2 million followers.[3]
By 2013,Pulte had founded[12] the Detroit Blight Authority,a nonprofit that clears empty homes and cleans up trash.[13] After Mike Duggan was inaugurated mayor of Detroit in January 2014,he requested that Pulte halt his efforts. Pulte since founded The Blight Authority,a nonprofit operating in Pontiac,Michigan,and—at the behest of Twitter chief executive Jack Dorsey—St. Louis.[2] In November 2018,Pontiac mayor Deirdre Waterman stated that her city was set to be blight-free by the following year.[14]
Pulte marked his tenure by consolidating control over Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.[19] Days after being sworn in,he moved to oust numerous members of the companies's boards and named himself chairman.[20] In March,2025,Christopher Stanley,a cybersecurity engineer at SpaceX and a Department of Government Efficiency employee,was appointed to the board of Fannie Mae,but then resigned after one day.[21] Pulte placed thirty-five workers on administrative leave;according to the National Treasury Employees Union,they were not given advance notice.[22] He later signed an order ending programs at the companies supporting first-time home buyers and assisting in down payments,leading to concerns that the companies could be privatized.[23] Pulte's job cuts targeted a department that oversaw fair housing rules for the Federal Home Loan Bank system.[24]
As director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency,Pulte has alleged that several Trump foes have committed mortgage fraud.[25][26] In April,Pulte referred Letitia James,the attorney general of New York,to attorney general Pam Bondi and deputy attorney general Todd Blanche for criminal prosecution,alleging that James "falsified bank documents and property records to acquire government backed assistance and loans and more favorable loan terms." The following month,The Washington Post reported that the Department of Justice was investigating James.[27] In July,Trump accused California senator Adam Schiff of mortgage fraud,citing a memorandum from Fannie Mae sent to Pulte;the memorandum did not claim Schiff committed mortgage fraud.[28] The following month,Ed Martin was appointed as the special prosecutor to oversee the investigation into James and to initiate an inquiry into Schiff.[29] In August,Trump called for Federal Reserve Board of Governors member Lisa Cook to resign after Pulte alleged she had committed mortgage fraud.[30] Trump invoked the "for cause" removal of Cook days later,though with uncertain authority.[31]
Notes
↑ Mark and Julie had five children after Pulte.[2]
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