continued on page 14

 

Gilbert Family: Nick, in foreground; Gracie, Jennifer, Nash, AJ, Dan, Grant.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ROCKET COMPANIES

Gilbert have teamed up 
on The Detroit Center for 
Innovation. The U-M-
anchored undertaking is 
expected to be a $300 million 
development. 
In a 1992 article in the 
Jewish News, Gilbert, then age 
30, remarked that fulfilling the 
goal of being a self-made man 
takes more than good ideas 
and hard work. “Drive, deter-
mination and focus are neces-
sary ingredients in growing a 
successful business.
” 
And that drive has served 
Gilbert well. As of this 
writing, Forbes lists him as 
the 15th-richest person in 
America and one of the 20 
most successful self-made 
individuals globally.

BUILDING AN EMPIRE
Daniel Bruce Gilbert was born 
in Detroit on an unusually 
cold day, Jan. 17, 1962, to par-
ents Shirley and the late Sam 
Gilbert. They lived in a mod-
est apartment before moving 
to Southfield.
“He was bright from the 
day he was born, a go-getter 
from an early age and always 
a giver,
” his mother told the 
JN. She and the Gilbert family 
recently visited Israel together.

“Helping your hometown is like helping your 
family. If you can ... I think you should do it.”

— DAN GILBERT

 OCTOBER 1 • 2020 | 13