History of Bill Daniels

Daniels Fund founder Bill Daniels believed deeply in ethics and integrity, and the importance of absolute ethical principles. As an exceptionally honest and fair businessman, he always based his decisions on what he believed was right – not just on what he thought was best for himself or his company. This attitude and style of conducting business earned Bill tremendous respect and loyalty throughout the business world.

Bill owned the American Basketball Association’s Utah Stars when the team was forced into bankruptcy in 1975 as the league unraveled. Although Bill’s financial obligations were legally discharged, he returned to Salt Lake City five years later and repaid every season ticket holder, vendor, player, and employee – with 8% interest per year – at a personal cost of more than $750,000.

Bill felt the best deals – and the only ones that interested him – represented a win-win for all involved. He considered the potential impact on all parties, and walked away from lucrative deals that failed to resolve potential negative consequences. Bill believed that for a company to increase the cost of a product or service, it had to demonstrate value to the customer.