David G. Booth is an American businessman, investor, and the self-made billionaire founder of Dimensional Fund Advisors (DFA), a major global investment management firm. His background is rooted in academic finance: he holds a bachelor's degree in economics and a master's degree in business from the University of Kansas, and an MBA from the University of Chicago (1971).

His career was fundamentally shaped by his studies at Chicago, where he worked closely with financial economist Eugene Fama, a future Nobel Laureate and pioneer of the Efficient Market Hypothesis. Booth was instrumental in translating Fama's academic research into practical, market-based investment strategies, pioneering what is now known as factor investing.

David Booth founded Dimensional Fund Advisors (DFA) in 1981, initially operating the fledgling business out of the spare room of his Brooklyn brownstone apartment. His strategic vision was revolutionary for the time: create an investment firm that applied groundbreaking financial theory and research (specifically factor-based models) to the practical world of asset management. He pioneered the first passively managed small company strategy in the early 1980s.

Under his leadership, DFA grew exponentially, achieving over $915 billion in assets under management (AUM). The firm's success is built on an evidence-based investment philosophy that challenges traditional stock-picking, focusing instead on quantifiable factors like value and size. Booth's most visible achievement is his philanthropy: he donated massively to his alma mater, leading the University of Chicago Booth School of Business to be named in his honor in 2008. He stepped back from daily management in 2017 but remains closely involved in strategy.

David Booth is a major philanthropist, focusing his giving on education, financial theory research, and athletics. His massive gift to the University of Chicago not only named the school in his honor but also significantly advanced academic research in financial economics.

His structural social impact is the successful popularization of factor investing and the creation of passive small company strategies, providing investors with low-cost, systematic ways to capture market returns. His philanthropy also supports athletics at the University of Kansas, where he ushered at football games as a boy.

David Booth maintains the professional, intellectually rigorous style of a quantitative finance leader. His attire is consistently formal and high-quality, favoring tailored suits. His aesthetic reflects the academic discipline of the University of Chicago and the evidence-based philosophy of his firm.

His luxury is the autonomy to pursue his passion for translating academic theory into massive, market-changing investment strategies. His life is defined by his commitment to intellectual collaboration and his successful transformation of the asset management industry through quantitative discipline.