760 WJR midday host Paul W. Smith is on a cruise in France with more than 90 listeners, so a fill-in host was needed. In stepped billionaire and Detroit native Dan Gilbert.
The Rocket Mortgage founder opened the show by joking that the day’s episode was being hosted by Daniel B. Gilbert, a play on the initial used by Paul W. Smith.
Gilbert asked the station to put together an all-star group of guests for the episode of Focus. Fellow billionaire Roger Penske, Rocket Mortgage CEO Varun Krishna, Gilbert Family Foundation and Rocket Community Fund Executive Director Laura Grannemann, former Detroit Lion and Pro Football Hall of Famer Barry Sanders, and NBC Sports announcer Mike Tirico all joined the show during Gilbert’s stint hosting Wednesday.
The 61-year-old Gilbert is a Detroit native and graduated from Wayne State University, which is located in the Motor City. In addition to owning Rocket Mortgage, Gilbert is also owner of the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers.
Gilbert has been a passionate philanthropist in Detroit, giving $5 million to the Wayne State University Law School, and an additional $1.2 million to help COVID-19 efforts in the city.
