Spend five minutes with Dave Gillespie and you’ll get a definitive sense of his high levels of experience, enthusiasm, and thoughtfulness, all rolled into one impressive package. That’s who he is, and what’s driven him for his entire career. For over 40 years, in varying vital roles, Gillespie has successfully helped wealthy individuals and families navigate and build wealth on their most important financial journeys. But the Texas financial sage’s mission is about much more than just money. Over the course of his long career, he’s worked with a variety of powerful companies and celebrated Texas luminaries in roles including president, CFO and more (see his website, GTEDllc.com, and his LinkedIn profile athttps://www.linkedin.com/in/davegillespiealedotexas/ for specifics). While Gillespie has worked successfully with some of the Park Cities’ famous faces to maximize and protect their wealth, his talents transcend that. When it comes to his distinctive belief system, the company’s unique name sets an overarching tone. “I believe in thankfulness,” he explains. “I believe that’s what life is … in my office I have a big GTED on the wall for a simple, but powerful statement: “Give Thanks Every Day.” It serves as the company’s North Star of sorts, a vital guiding principle for Gillespie’s approach in and out of the office. His niche may be described in terms of a “best fit” in working with medium or upper-level families, or individuals. “Most of them already have a financial advisor. However generally speaking they tend to think ‘inside-in-the-box,’” he says. “I work with their financial and tax advisors, and CPAs, not to replace them, but to bring fresh ideas, and “beyond-the-box” thinking on how they can better optimize and protect money. I’m not a financial advisor. What I am is a confident, experienced person who brings additional knowledge and very good ideas to the table.” For people in the Park Cities looking at the changing current tax regime -- whether it’s land, a business, stock, or cryptocurrency portfolios, “I can help them keep much higher percentages of their cash. That’s a tremendous offer, especially nowadays. He often asks: “How would you like a way to structure your assets so that when you sell them, you keep more of your money?” which is an essential element of GTED and Gillespie’s expertise. Success for his clients may result in significantly more after-tax cash from big asset sales subject to capital gains taxes, selling a company or real estate, and improving retirement funds such as 401Ks, including some tax-free proceeds for heirs. Gillespie is not about being the same old “guy down the street, or simply a custodian of your money,” he explains. “I stand for helping individuals and multi-generational families optimize their wealth as well as build a family’s cohesiveness. These are key elements in developing smart strategies that can guide families for years to come.” In his signature candid style, Gillespie admits he’s never quite found just the right words to describe some of the quintessential intangibles he brings to clients. “The same way I’ve worked for this wealthy person, or that wealthy person … the same way that I worked as CFO, and advisor, and a managing partner to optimize wealth … I want to do the same things for lots of other people too,” he says. Back to GTED, the bedrock of Gillespie’s business. “On our kitchen counter, a sign reads: “Give Thanks Every Day.” “If you are thankful, life is happier and more successful.”
Article by David Muscari
Photography by Grant Miller
Originally published in Park Cities Lifestyle