Jews in the D
I
t has been a year of
recoveries and beyond
for Dan Gilbert, the
founder of Quicken
Loans and one of the
most visible figures in
the economic revitaliza-
tion of Detroit.
And in recognition, today,
Oct. 1, Gilbert, 58, will be the
recipient of this year’
s Fred M.
Butzel Award, the highest honor
bestowed on a Detroit Jewish
citizen by the Jewish Federation
of Metropolitan Detroit.
“Without a doubt, Dan
Gilbert stands alongside the
most important leaders and
philanthropists in the history
of Jewish Detroit,” said Steven
Ingber, Federation COO. “Dan’
s
presence at the Fisher Meeting,
our annual event for the lead-
ing donor families in Jewish
Detroit, has helped galvanize
the resources in our communi-
ty, and his personal generosity
has made in a difference in the
lives of thousands of individu-
als each year.
“It is hard to think of anyone
who better deserves this award,
the highest that Federation
offers. We are deeply grateful for
his commitment to our Jewish
community.”
The award comes as Gilbert
continues his journey of recov-
ery from a debilitating stroke
he suffered on May 26, 2019.
The stroke caused temporary
paralysis of his left arm and
leg, but Gilbert has persevered,
returning to work in February
and even making public
appearances.
“With my recent physical
condition, I just learned what
gratitude is, because it’
s just been
a humbling experience,” Gilbert
told the JN.
And he has continued to blaze
forward in his commitment to
revitalizing the city of Detroit
via his family of companies
numbering around 80 entities
— as well as the Gilbert Family
Foundation, which he co-found-
ed in 2015 with his wife,
Jennifer, and into which they
have channeled more than $125
million of their own money.
“Helping your hometown is
like helping your family: If you
can, and you’
re in a position, I
think you should do it,” Gilbert
said. “That’
s where it really
comes from, for me.”
A POWERFUL REPUTATION
Gilbert’
s peers in the business
and philanthropic world hardly
need an excuse to praise him.
“
As an entrepreneur, philan-
thropist, citizen and friend, they
don’
t come any better than Dan,”
world-renowned investor and
philanthropist Warren Buffett
told the JN on the occasion of
the award.
For Gilbert, that kind of sim-
plicity is highly valued.
“Dan has done something
remarkable with his business and
philanthropic work in Detroit,
”
native Detroiter Steve Ballmer,
the former CEO of Microsoft,
told the JN. “Not sure anyone
anywhere has done as much
to revive a city as Dan has. He
inspires me.
”
“Dan Gilbert is a passionate
champion of the city of Detroit,
”
Stephen M. Ross, the influen-
tial real estate developer and
namesake of the University
of Michigan’
s Ross School of
Business, told the JN. “His
unwavering belief in the future
of this city has inspired many,
myself included, to invest in and
forge new partnerships with
Detroit to reinvigorate its endur-
ing legacy as a global center of
technological innovation.
”
Ross and Gilbert both attend-
ed law school at Wayne State
University. Each contributed
$5 million to the school in 2016.
More recently, Ross and
12 | OCTOBER 1 • 2020
Butzel Award winner Dan Gilbert
refl
ects on family, faith and
philanthropy.
ADAM FINKEL CONTRIBUTING WRITER
cover story