Overview
Daniel Kwak holds the position of Vice President Finance at Perplexity [1]. Kwak previously served as Head of Finance & Corporate Development at Perplexity [3] and was Co-founder of Paperplane from 2021 to 2024 [4]. Earlier roles include positions on the Founding Team at Hadrian [5], Vice President at Point72 [6], and Investment Banking at Goldman Sachs [7]. Kwak worked as a Researcher at the Plasma Science and Fusion Center at MIT from 2013 to 2015 [8]. Kwak holds a PhD in Plasma Physics and an MS in Plasma Physics from MIT [9][10], as well as a BS in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Michigan [11].
Career history
- Vice President Finance2026 to presentPerplexity
- Head of Finance & Corporate Development2024 to presentPerplexity
- Co-founder2021 to 2024Paperplane
- Founding Team2020 to 2021Hadrian
- Vice President2017 to 2020Point72
- Investment Banking2015 to 2017Goldman Sachs
- Researcher2013 to 2015Plasma Science and Fusion Center at MIT
Education
PhD, Plasma PhysicsMassachusetts Institute of Technology
BS, Nuclear EngineeringUniversity of Michigan
Insights & ideas
The through-line
Across every appearance, Daniel Kwak is presented as someone whose real estate career and his personal philosophy of service are treated as inseparable: the practical mechanics of building a rental portfolio from nothing are discussed alongside a broader concern with character, faith, and using financial success for other people's benefit [1][3][4][6]. Over time the emphasis in these conversations shifts from the tactical (how he went from a negative bank account to dozens of rental units) toward the reflective (what that journey means for leadership and for his relationship to faith), with the most recent appearance framing his story explicitly around "true servant leadership" rather than investing tactics alone [1].
On turning scarcity into strategy
Several conversations return to the same origin point: Kwak starting his real estate investing education from a position of financial hardship, including a period with a negative bank account balance, and turning that scarcity into a deliberate learning process before making his first deal [6]. From there, the discussions track a rapid scaling story, from his first deal to dozens of rental units and eventually raising capital for larger deals [6]. Later appearances revisit this scaling theme in more tactical terms, focusing specifically on how to grow a rental portfolio starting with no capital by identifying overlooked sellers that other investors miss [4]. The consistent thread is that the constraint of starting with nothing is treated not as a disqualifying factor but as the starting condition his method was built to work from [3][4][6].
On wealth as a tool for service
A recurring concern in these conversations is what wealth is for. The framing offered is that financial capability should be paired with genuine care for other people, on the premise that the world improves when people with real financial skill also have a heart oriented toward others [3]. This is carried into his most recent appearance, which centers his story around a shift toward "true servant leadership" as the long-term orientation he came to see he needed, moving beyond real estate success alone toward a sustained practice of leading by serving others [1].
On faith and work
One conversation focuses specifically on Kwak's approach to integrating faith into his work and decision-making, framed around the distinction between doing things "with God" versus doing things "for Him," suggesting a shift in his own thinking from treating faith as a motivator for effort toward treating it as a collaborative posture in how he operates [6].
On learning economics from a standing start
In a conversation centered on the economy and inflation, Kwak is described as someone who did not start with strong opinions about money or economics, having historically just earned and spent without deeper reflection, and who more recently took a deliberate interest in educating himself about economic fundamentals amid uncertainty in markets and supply chains [5]. This positions him less as a credentialed economic commentator and more as a practitioner working through the same uncertainty as his audience.
Takeaways
- Kwak's investing story starts from a negative bank account balance, used in these conversations as the baseline his method was built to escape from [6].
- His rental portfolio scaling approach is built around finding overlooked sellers rather than requiring starting capital [4].
- He frames financial skill as only valuable when paired with genuine care for others, arguing the world improves when the wealthy have "hearts for their fellowmen" [3].
- His most recent framing recasts his career arc around a move toward long-term servant leadership rather than real estate success as an end in itself [1].
- He describes a personal shift toward doing things "with God" rather than "for Him" as a working philosophy [6].
- He approached economics as a self-taught subject, only recently developing real opinions about money and markets [5].
Media & appearances
- Servant Leadership PodcastApple PodcastsFrom Real Estate Success to True Servant Leadership with Daniel KwakToday on the Servant Leadership Podcast we're joined by Daniel Kwak. Daniel and his brother immigrated from Korea as pastor’s kids, grew up in poverty in Chicago, and launched their first business as teenagers. When Daniel realized he needed a long-te
- Living Off RentalsApple Podcasts#281 - How to Scale a Rental Portfolio with $0 by Finding Overlooked Sellers - Daniel KwakJoining us in this episode of Living Off Rentals is someone who proves that starting from scratch doesn’t mean staying stuck. Daniel Kwak is a real estate investor, coach, author, and one half of the renowned Kwak Brothers. By age 23, he and his brot
- Success Story with Scott D. ClaryApple PodcastsDaniel Kwak - Founder at Miotti Partners Capital | How To Become A Real Estate Millionaire By 24Listen to and watch Daniel Kwak - Founder at Miotti Partners Capital | How To Become A Real Estate Millionaire By 24 from Success Story with Scott Clary on Apple Podcasts. June 8, 2022. Duration: 1h 12m.
- Unstoppable REI WealthApple PodcastsBuilding a Better World Through REI from a Negative Bank Account with Daniel KwakWhat would the world look like if more of the rich and wealthy had hearts for their fellowmen? And what if those with hearts of gold had the skills to get themselves out of poverty? You think you know the answer? “No brainer – the world becomes a
- ManTalks PodcastApple PodcastsDaniel Kwak - The Economy And Inflation: WTF?I started off not really knowing much about money, nor did I have any real opinion about it. I made it, I spent it, and that was that. But recently I've taken a much deeper interest, and tried to educate myself about economics in general, especially with all the uncertainty brewing around global markets, supply chains, and the rest. Join me and Daniel Kwak this week to get a primer. Daniel Kwak came to the US in 1999 to Chicago, IL. The son of an immigrant pastor, Daniel comes from a background of financial struggle and grew up having to break through language and cultural barriers constantly. In their early 20s, Sam and his brother Daniel began their real estate investing career, following the sale of their first business, a mobile DJ outfit they started in 2012. After a few years of hard work, they found a financial breakthrough in 2017 going from 0 to 75+ rental units in 1 year. Both Daniel and his brother now travel and consult other entrepreneurs in real estate investment in person as well as on their YouTube channel. Connect with Daniel -Website: https://thekwakbrothers.com/ -YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheKwakBrothers -Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thekwakbrothers/ Did you enjoy the podcast? If so, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or Podchaser.
- Taking the Leaps with Rachel G. ScottApple PodcastsDaniel Kwak~The Provision that Comes when we Learn to Do Things WITH God instead of For HimSend us Fan Mail Today on the podcast Rachel will be chatting with Daniel Kwak. Daniel Kwak first immigrated to the United States with his family at the age of 5. Due to a financially disadvantaged upbringing at the age of 20 he had a negative amount of 187.65 in his bank account. Motivated by continued financial hardship throughout his life he started learning about Real Estate Investing. The first two years he learned everything he could and at the age of 22 he did his first deal. By age 23 he had 83 rental units, along with having raised millions of dollars in capital and also having done a variety of different deals and strategies. At age 26, Daniel founded Miotti Partners Capital, a core satellite fund that has introduced the equities fund management model into the Real Estate space for the first time. He has also traveled across the country training and mentoring hundreds and thousands of aspiring real estate investors. Daniel and his brother currently run an online financial education company, along with a Youtube channel (The Kwak Brothers) that currently has over 185k subscribers. Overall, Daniel aspires to be a great husband, friend, and to be someone who just loves people.
- YouTubeDaniel Kwak / Success Story Podcast #fyp #podcast #interview ...Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.
- Wealth BustersApple PodcastsEp13: Actively Investing in Passive Income-Generating Opportunities with Daniel Kwak
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