Donald Bren
| Donald Bren | |
|---|---|
| Born |
May 11, 1932 Los Angeles, California |
| Residence | Newport Beach, California |
| Nationality | United States |
| Alma mater | University of Washington |
| Occupation | Chairman of the Board, The Irvine Company |
| Known for | Real Estate Development |
| Net worth |
 US$15.1 billion (February 2016) |
| Spouse(s) | Diane Bren Mardelle Bren (divorced) Brigitte Muller |
| Children | Seven |
| Parent(s) |
Marion Newbert Milton H. Bren |
| Website | www |
Donald L. Bren (born May 11, 1932) is an American businessman who is Chairman and sole owner of the Irvine Company, a US real estate investment company.
Bren is the son of Marion (Newbert) and Milton Bren. His father Milton was a naval officer, talent agent, and successful movie producer while his mother Marion was a prominent civic leader. His mother was of partial Irish descent while his father was of Jewish descent. His parents divorced in 1948. Bren's father remarried in 1948 to Academy Award-winning actress Claire Trevor. His mother remarried in 1953 to steel business man Earle M. Jorgensen.
Bren graduated from the University of Washington where he received a bachelor's degree in business administration and economics. He tried out for the 1956 Olympic ski team but did not qualify following an injury. After college he served as an officer in the United States Marine Corps.
Bren built his first house in Newport Beach with a $10,000 loan, in 1958. He began his business career in 1958 when he founded the Bren Company, which built homes in Orange County, California. In 1963, he and two others started the Mission Viejo Company (MVC) and purchased 10,000 acres to plan and develop the city of Mission Viejo, California. Bren was President of MVC from 1963 to 1967.International Paper bought Bren Co. for $34 million in 1970, and then sold it back to Bren for $22 million in 1972 following the recession. Bren took the proceeds and in 1977 joined a group of investors to purchase the 146-year-old Irvine Company. Bren was the largest shareholder of the resulting consortium, owning 34.3% of the company and received the title of Vice-chair of the board. By 1983, he was the majority owner of the firm and was elected chairman of the board. By 1996, he had bought out all outstanding shares to become the sole owner.
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