Donald Bren facts for kids

Donald Leroy Bren (born May 11, 1932) is a very successful American businessman. He is the chairman and owner of the Irvine Company, a large company that develops real estate in the U.S. He is known for being one of the richest people in the world. In 2024, his wealth was estimated at $18 billion.

Early Life and Education

Donald Bren was born in Los Angeles, California. His father, Milton Bren, was a naval officer and movie producer. His mother, Marion Newbert, was a community leader. After his parents divorced, his father married actress Claire Trevor. His mother later married steel businessman Earle M. Jorgensen.

Bren studied at the University of Washington. He earned a bachelor's degree in business and economics. While in college, he was part of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity. After college, he served as an officer in the United States Marine Corps.

Building a Career

Donald Bren started his own company, the Bren Company, in 1958. At first, his company built homes. Later, it grew to include commercial buildings like offices and shops.

In 1963, he helped start the Mission Viejo Company. This company bought a large area of land, about 10,000 acres. Their goal was to develop the city of Mission Viejo, California. Bren was the president of this company for four years.

Later, in 1977, Bren joined a group of investors. They bought the Irvine Company. This company was very old, founded 146 years earlier. By 1983, Bren became the chairman of the board. He eventually bought out all the other investors. By 1996, he became the sole owner of the Irvine Company.

The Irvine Company owns a huge amount of real estate. Most of it is in Southern California. This includes many office buildings, apartment complexes, shopping centers, hotels, marinas, and golf courses. Donald Bren is known for his long-term approach to real estate. He believes that holding property for a long time helps create better value.

Giving Back: Philanthropy

Donald Bren is also known for his generous donations. He has given over $2.1 billion to various causes. These include education, protecting nature, and supporting research. Because of his giving, BusinessWeek named him one of the top ten philanthropists in the nation in 2008.

Supporting Education

Bren has given more than $200 million to schools and universities. These donations help public schools and higher education in Southern California.

His gifts have helped the University of California, Irvine, University of California, Santa Barbara, and Chapman University. The University of California has said that Bren has given more money to support special teaching positions (called "endowed chairs") than any other single donor in its history.

At UC Irvine, several buildings are named after him. These include the Bren Events Center, the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences, and Donald Bren Hall. His stepmother, Claire Trevor, also has a school named after her there, the Claire Trevor School of the Arts.

At UC Santa Barbara, Bren Hall and the Bren School of Environmental Science & Management are named in his honor. These names recognize his support for environmental science programs.

In 2007, Bren pledged $20 million to the new UC Irvine School of Law. This money helped hire a dean and many law scholars.

He also supports the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). He has helped new professors and created special professorships there.

Bren donated $1 million to the Marine Corps University in 2003. This helped create two academic positions focused on ethics, leadership, and innovation.

He also supported after-school programs for students in Southern California through THINK Together. His donations helped these programs expand to many schools.

In 2000 and 2006, Bren gave $25 million and $20 million to the Irvine Unified School District. These gifts helped support arts, music, and science classes for elementary students. In 2024, his foundation gave another $2 million to the district. This was part of a larger $50 million commitment over 20 years.

Protecting Nature

Donald Bren has also made huge contributions to conservation. Over 30 years, he has donated about 55,000 acres of land. This land is used for parks, green spaces, and wilderness preserves. This fulfills his promise to protect more than half of the historic Irvine Ranch. The Irvine Ranch was originally about 93,000 acres.

About 40,000 acres of this land were named the Irvine Ranch National Natural Landmark. In 2008, California also made this land the first California Natural Landmark. This was because of its important ecological value.

In 2010, Bren completed his pledge to set aside over 50,000 acres of the ranch as open space. He gave 20,000 acres to Orange County, California. This was the largest donation of private property to public ownership in Orange County's history. He asked that the land remain open space forever.

Supporting Research

In 2007, Bren committed $2.5 million to the Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute. This donation helped establish a special research position. The money supports research into diseases like cancer, neurodegeneration, and childhood illnesses.

Bren has also shown interest in supporting solar energy research. He believes solar energy could be a major solution for the world's energy needs.

Awards and Recognition

Donald Bren has received many awards for his business success and his giving.

In 2006, the Los Angeles Times called him the most powerful and wealthiest person in Southern California. The Orange County Business Journal named him "Businessperson of the Year."

In 2011, the Urban Land Institute gave him its first Vanguard Award. They called him "one of the most important developers in American history."

In 2004, Bren received the University of California Presidential Medal. This is the university's highest honor. It recognized his financial support, which was over $43 million at the time.

He also received the Marine Corps University Foundation's Semper Fidelis Award in 1998. This award honors leaders who show excellence and character like the United States Marine Corps. In 2003, he received their most prestigious award, the General Leonard F. Chapman Medallion.

Bren is a trustee at Caltech and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. In 2007, he was elected a Fellow with the American Academy of Arts & Sciences.

Personal Life

Donald Bren has been married three times and has seven children. He and his wife, Brigitte Muller, live in Newport Beach, California.

Bren generally prefers to keep his life private. He does not often give interviews to the press.

Political Involvement

Donald Bren has supported politicians from both the Republican and Democratic parties. He has contributed to Republican causes and also supported Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein.

Images for kids

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  Claire Trevor Theatre, UC Irvine

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  The Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences viewed from the top of Bren Hall, UC Irvine

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  Basketball court of the Bren Events Center before a game, UC Irvine

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  Bren Hall, UC Santa Barbara