David Gardner and his brother Tom used their investing knowledge to launch The Motley Fool, which started as a print newsletter they wrote from a backyard shed. It now provides advice that reaches millions of investors every month. Let's take a look at David's current role at The Motley Fool, some of his best stock picks over the years, and the investment strategies that led to his success.
Primary roles
David Gardner is a co-founder of The Motley Fool and is on the company's board of directors. He's also the chairman of The Motley Fool Foundation.
David made stock picks for The Motley Fool's subscriber services until 2021, when he decided to shift his focus to other endeavors. He's still The Motley Fool's chief Rule Breaker, host of the weekly Rule Breaker Investing podcast, and an advisor at Motley Fool Ventures, a technology-focused venture capital fund.
Investment strategy
David Gardner is a long-term growth investor who looks for dynamic companies with the potential to disrupt their respective markets. He calls his approach "Rule Breaker investing" because it doesn't follow the traditional rules that Wall Street and most investors adhere to.
Gardner has a framework he uses to find these kinds of innovative, forward-thinking companies. Here are his six signs of a Rule Breaker:
- "Top dog" and first mover: The most important attribute of a Rule Breaker is a dominant position in an emerging industry. It's often a first mover or the largest company by market cap in its niche.
- Sustainable advantage: Companies can build a sustainable advantage through several methods, including momentum, patent protection, or visionary leadership.
- Past price appreciation: Contrary to the notion of "buy low, sell high," Gardner doesn't mind buying high. A rising stock price is one potential indicator of the market recognizing a winning company.
- Good management: Excellent leadership and a strong company culture are crucial elements of successful companies, including Rule Breakers.
- Strong consumer appeal: When a company has a strong brand, it's much easier to achieve and sustain growth.
- Overvalued according to the media: As Gardner explains, first-rate companies often have higher prices than second-rate and third-rate companies. If conventional wisdom says a company is overvalued and it nails the first five criteria, it could be a very good investment.
Philosophy and legacy
The philosophy at the heart of David Gardner's portfolio is investing in excellent companies for the long haul. He focuses on the quality of the business and doesn't worry about holding on to winners that may seem overvalued to Wall Street.
A conversation he had about Netflix on The Motley Fool discussion boards in 2010 provides a perfect example. When a member asked Gardner whether Netflix was overvalued, he explained his investing philosophy in just 20 words.
I try to find excellence, buy excellence, and add to excellence over time. I sell mediocrity. That's how I invest.
If you want a deep dive into his thinking, David Gardner published Rule Breaker Investing: How to Pick the Best Stocks of the Future and Build Lasting Wealth in 2025. He has also co-authored several books on investing and personal finance with his brother Tom, including:
- The Motley Fool Investment Guide: How the Fool Beats Wall Street's Wise Men and How You Can Too (first published in 1996, third edition published in 2017)
- The Motley Fool: You Have More Than You Think -- The Foolish Guide to Personal Finance (first published in 1998, second edition published in 2001)
- The Motley Fool's Rule Makers, Rule Breakers: The Foolish Guide to Picking Stocks (published in 2000)
- The Motley Fool Investment Guide for Teens: 8 Steps to Having More Money Than Your Parents Ever Dreamed Of (published in 2002)
- The Motley Fool's Money After 40: Building Wealth for a Better Life (published in 2004)
In addition to sharing his investing knowledge, David Gardner has had an impact on regulations in the financial industry. He testified before Congress in 1998 regarding excessive mutual fund fees and the lack of transparency regarding those fees.
Gardner and The Motley Fool played an especially important role in the passage of Regulation Fair Disclosure (Reg FD) by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Former SEC Chairman Arthur Levitt said in 2001 that two-thirds of the letters about the regulation came from The Motley Fool's readers and that without them, the regulation wouldn't have passed.
Related investing topics
Awards and honors
David Gardner graduated as a Morehead-Cain Scholar from the University of North Carolina (UNC) and received UNC's Distinguished Young Alumni Award. He also graduated from the Leadership Greater Washington's Signature Program.
About the Author
