History of Dan Gilbert in Timeline

Dan Gilbert is an American billionaire businessman, philanthropist, and the co-founder/majority owner of Rocket Mortgage and founder of Rock Ventures. He is heavily involved in sports, owning the Cleveland Cavaliers (NBA), Cleveland Monsters (AHL), and Cleveland Charge (NBA G League), and operates Rocket Arena. Gilbert's estimated net worth places him among the wealthiest individuals globally, demonstrating his significant impact in business and sports.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements

January 17, 1962: Daniel Gilbert Born

On January 17, 1962, Daniel Gilbert was born. He is an American billionaire, businessman, and philanthropist.

Others born on this day/year

1982: Hudson's Store Closes

In 1982, the Hudson's Store in Detroit closed, at the location where Gilbert's Hudson's Detroit project would later be developed.

1985: Rock Financial Founded

In 1985, Dan Gilbert, along with Ron Berman, Lindsay Gross, and Gary Gilbert, founded Rock Financial.

1990: Hudson's Department Stores corporate offices

In 1990, until then, it was corporate offices for Hudson's Department Stores.

1998: Hudson's Store Implodes

In 1998, Hudson's Store imploded after sitting empty and attempts to redevelop it failed.

2000: Intuit Acquires Rock Financial

In 2000, Intuit Inc. purchased Rock Financial and renamed its web operation Quicken Loans.

2002: Gilbert Repurchases Quicken Loans

In 2002, Dan Gilbert and a group of private investors purchased Quicken Loans and Title Source, Inc. from Intuit.

2005: Gilbert Buys the Cleveland Cavaliers

In 2005, Dan Gilbert bought the Cleveland Cavaliers for $375 million, which was then a record price for an NBA team.

2006: Gilbert Purchases Cleveland Monsters

In 2006, Dan Gilbert purchased the Cleveland Monsters, a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League.

2007: Quicken Loans Announces Move to Detroit

In 2007, Dan Gilbert and the city of Detroit announced an agreement to move Quicken Loans' headquarters to downtown Detroit.

2007: Gilbert Launches Bizdom

In 2007, Dan Gilbert launched the nonprofit Bizdom, which promotes entrepreneurship in Detroit and Cleveland.

November 2009: Casino Gaming Referendum Backed

In November 2009, Dan Gilbert and partners backed a referendum to bring casino gaming to Ohio's four largest cities.

August 2010: Quicken Loans Moves to Downtown Detroit

In August 2010, Quicken Loans, which changed its name to Rocket Mortgage, moved its headquarters and 1,700 employees to downtown Detroit, contributing to the revitalization of the city's urban core.

2010: Quicken Loans Moves Employees to Detroit

By the end of 2010, all 3,600 Michigan-based employees of Quicken Loans had moved to Detroit's urban core.

May 2012: Jack Cleveland Casino Opens

In May 2012, the first of the casinos, Jack Cleveland Casino, opened as part of Gilbert's joint venture with Caesars Entertainment.

September 2012: Gilbert Joins The Giving Pledge

In September 2012, Dan Gilbert and his wife Jennifer joined The Giving Pledge, committing to give half of their wealth to philanthropy.

September 2013: Gilbert Named Co-Chair of Blight Removal Task Force

In September 2013, Dan Gilbert was named co-chair of the Blight Removal Task Force in Detroit.

2013: Rock Ventures Acquires Greektown Casino Interest

In 2013, Rock Ventures formed Athens Acquisition LLC and acquired a majority interest in Greektown Superholdings Inc., owner of the Greektown Casino-Hotel in Detroit.

May 2014: Blight Removal Task Force Publishes Plan

In May 2014, the Blight Removal Task Force published a plan to remove blighted structures in Detroit.

2015: Donation to Chris Christie's Presidential Candidacy

In 2015, Dan Gilbert donated $750,000 to the presidential candidacy of Chris Christie.

2015: Purchase of Book Tower

In 2015, Dan Gilbert purchased Book Tower in Detroit for $30 million.

September 2016: Donation to Wayne State University Law School

In September 2016, Dan Gilbert donated $5 million to Wayne State University Law School.

2016: Cavaliers Win NBA Championship

In 2016, the Cleveland Cavaliers, owned by Dan Gilbert, won their first NBA championship.

September 2017: Gilbert Leads Amazon HQ2 Bid Committee

In September 2017, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan appointed Dan Gilbert to lead a committee to bid for Amazon's second North American headquarters.

November 2017: Investment in 100 Thieves Esports Organization

In November 2017, Matthew "Nadeshot" Haag announced that Dan Gilbert made a multimillion-dollar investment into the 100 Thieves esports organization.

2017: Named One of "America's 11 Most Interesting Mayors"

In 2017, a Politico Magazine article named Dan Gilbert one of "America's 11 Most Interesting Mayors", highlighting his role in Detroit's development.

2017: Largest Retail Mortgage Lender

In the fourth quarter of 2017, Rock Financial became the largest retail mortgage lender by volume in the United States.

2018: Detroit Removed from Amazon HQ2 Contenders

In 2018, Amazon narrowed its list of potential headquarters locations, removing Detroit from its list of contenders.

2018: LeBron James Leaves the Cavaliers

In 2018, the Cleveland Cavaliers went through a tumultuous period after LeBron James left the team.

2018: Gilbert Buys Online Dictionaries

In late 2018, Dan Gilbert bought the online dictionaries Dictionary.com and Thesaurus.com, both of which were later sold to IXL Learning.

May 26, 2019: Gilbert Suffers a Stroke

On May 26, 2019, Dan Gilbert was hospitalized and treated for a stroke at the age of 57.

2019: Gilbert Sells Greektown Casino

In 2019, Dan Gilbert sold the Greektown Casino to Vici Properties.

August 2020: Quicken Loans Goes Public as Rocket Companies

In August 2020, Quicken Loans went public under the name Rocket Companies and began trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "RKT". Gilbert remained the majority owner.

2020: Donation to COVID-19 Relief Efforts

In 2020, Dan Gilbert made a $1.2 million donation to help COVID-19 relief efforts in the city of Detroit.

2021: Gilbert Chairman of Quicken Loans

As of 2021, Dan Gilbert was the chairman of Quicken Loans, Inc.

2021: Gilbert Sells Casino Interests

In 2021, Dan Gilbert and his Family of Companies sold all interests in the casinos and is no longer affiliated with Jack Entertainment.

2021: Investment in Detroit Metropolitan Area

In 2021, The Gilbert Family Foundation and Rocket Community Fund pledged to invest $500 million in the Detroit Metropolitan area over 10 years, including funds to pay off property tax debt for lower-income homeowners.

May 6, 2023: Death of Nick Gilbert

On May 6, 2023, Dan Gilbert's eldest son Nick Gilbert died after a long battle with neurofibromatosis.

September 2023: Gilbert's Philanthropic Initiatives

As of September 2023, Dan Gilbert has committed more than $1 billion in philanthropic initiatives.

2023: Death of Nick Gilbert

In 2023, Dan Gilbert's eldest son Nick Gilbert died at the age of 26 after a battle with neurofibromatosis.

2023: Gilbert Family Donation to Shirley Ryan AbilityLab

In 2023, the Gilbert Family donated nearly $400 million to open the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab at the Henry Ford Health campus in Michigan. They also established a $10 million fund for rehabilitation services for uninsured Detroiters.

May 2025: Gilbert's Net Worth Estimated by Forbes

In May 2025, Forbes estimated Dan Gilbert's net worth at US$22.5 billion, making him the 88th richest person in the world.

September 5, 2025: Gilbert Files for Divorce

On September 5, 2025, Dan Gilbert and his wife Jennifer announced they were filing for divorce after 31 years of marriage.

2025: Hudson's Detroit Project Slated to Open

In 2025, Dan Gilbert's Hudson's Detroit project, a 1.5 million square foot development including office space, a skyscraper, hotel, retail stores, and apartments, is slated to open.