Bill Pulte

William John Pulte was born on May 28, 1988, in Boynton Beach, Florida, and built a career that moves between private equity, philanthropy, and federal housing policy. He is the grandson of William J. Pulte, who founded the home construction company PulteGroup, and he studied broadcast journalism at Northwestern University before turning to business. In 2011 he started Pulte Capital, a private equity firm, and in 2015 he founded The Blight Authority, a nonprofit that clears empty homes. A leadership dispute led to his appointment to PulteGroup's board in 2016 for a four-year term; the board did not retain him after a falling out. Starting in 2019, Pulte used Twitter as a platform for philanthropic efforts, often giving away money directly to people who asked for help. In January 2025, President-elect Donald Trump named Pulte as his nominee to lead the Federal Housing Finance Agency. The Senate confirmed him in March, and he marked his tenure by appointing himself chairman of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. From April onward, Pulte began accusing Trump foes of mortgage fraud, including New York attorney general Letitia James, California senator Adam Schiff, Federal Reserve Board of Governors member Lisa Cook, and Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell. The accusations against Cook, which she denied, led to Trump attempting to remove her and a lawsuit. In June 2026, Trump named Pulte as acting director of national intelligence to succeed Tulsi Gabbard. Some senators raised concerns about his loyalty to Trump and his lack of experience in national intelligence. As criticism mounted, Trump announced Pulte would not be put forth as a permanent candidate for the intelligence position. Pulte claimed that during his two months as acting director, he fired approximately thirty percent of the workforce within the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. He left the role in August 2026.[edit]