1. Donald Bren
Net Worth: $15.2 billion
Forbes 400 position: 27
It has been said many times that Orange County’s appearances today are mostly due to one man: Donald Bren. Bren’s first experience with real estate was back when he was in high school and spending his summers working for his father in construction, together with his brothers. After finishing the stint with US Marine Corps, he went into business by himself, by securing a loan and getting into soaring Orange County real estate market. His biggest success is the development of the city of Irvine. That alone would be enough to place him on top of the list of most successful real estate billionaires in America.
