Donald Bren: is there a family office?

This article directly stems from the research process for our American single family office database. Our list of U.S. single family offices includes the most important family investment vehicles that invest in various areas, such as financial markets, real estate, venture capital, private equity, and renewables.

Donald Breen is a key player in the American real estate market, owning over 127 million square feet of real estate, with the majority being based in Southern California. Bren is one of the top 100 world’s richest people, according to Forbes (as of November 2022) Bren has a $17.4bn net worth which ranks him as 91. In this article, we will investigate if Bren operates a family office.

Bren manages wealth through real estate specialists Irvine Company

 Donald purchased Irvine Company in 1977 with a group of fellow investors following the success of his company Mission Viejo Company, which was established to plan and develop Mission Viejo in California. Bren bought out all shares of Irvine Company in 1996 and is now the sole owner. Irvine’s portfolio consists of over 570 offices and 124 apartment complexes, including a 97.7% stake in the MetLife Building. Irvine Company has also been responsible for the development of the City of Irvine and Newport Coast, with the city currently having a population of over 300,000. Asides from business exploits, Bren is a keen philanthropist and in 2008 he was named among the US top 10 philanthropists. Bren has a keen interest in education, conservation, and research. Through Irvine Company, Bren has donated over 57,000 acres in Southern California which will be preserved for open spaces and parklands. His lifetime giving is in excess of $1.3bn, with one of his largest donations in education to K-12 schools and towards the establishment of the computer science department at the University of California.

Picture source: Avi Waxman