Bill Pulte

Profile Overview

William John Pulte (born May 28, 1988) is an American businessman who has served as the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) and the chairman of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac since 2025. Pulte served as the acting director of national intelligence from June to August 2026.
Pulte is the grandson of William J. Pulte, founder of PulteGroup, a residential home construction company. He studied broadcast journalism at Northwestern University. Pulte founded Pulte Capital in 2011, a private equity firm, and founded The Blight Authority, a nonprofit that clears empty homes, in 2015. Amid a leadership dispute, Pulte was named to PulteGroup's board in 2016, serving for a four-year term; he was not retained over a dispute between him and the board. In 2019, Pulte began using Twitter as a platform for philanthropic efforts.
In January 2025, President-elect Donald Trump named Pulte as his nominee for director of the FHFA. He was confirmed by the Senate in March. He marked his tenure by appointing himself chairman of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Beginning in April, Pulte began accusing Trump foes of mortgage fraud, including Letitia James, the attorney general of New York; 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 the acting director of national intelligence to succeed Tulsi Gabbard. His appointment elicited concern from some senators, who noted Pulte's loyalty to Trump and his lack of experience in national intelligence. As the acting director of national intelligence, Pulte claimed that he had fired approximately thirty percent of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence's workforce.