Donald Leroy Bren is an American billionaire businessman, the Chairman and sole owner of The Irvine Company, one of the largest and most influential real estate development corporations in the United States. Born in Los Angeles, California, in 1932, his parents were divorced; his father was a movie producer, and his mother was a civic leader.

Bren graduated from the University of Washington with a bachelor's degree in business administration and economics. After college, he served as an officer in the United States Marine Corps, instilling the discipline and strategic planning that would define his career. He initially failed to qualify for the 1956 Olympic ski team due to an injury, redirecting his competitive drive entirely into business and real estate development.

Donald Bren founded the Bren Company in 1958 to build homes. In 1963, he co-founded the Mission Viejo Company (MVC), which purchased 10,000 acres to develop the city of Mission Viejo, California. However, his defining career achievement was acquiring a controlling stake, and eventually sole ownership, of The Irvine Company, the owner of the vast Irvine Ranch property in Southern California.

His strategic vision transformed the historic 93,000-acre Irvine Ranch into one of America's most desirable regions, creating the entire City of Irvine and Newport Coast. His business model is unique: a long-term ownership strategy for a high-quality, diversified real estate portfolio (apartment homes, offices, retail, entertainment) that is unmatched in the industry (over 120 million square feet of real estate). His commitment to developing entire sustainable communities secured his multi-billion dollar fortune, making him one of the largest landowners in the U.S.

Donald Bren is a major philanthropist and environmental steward, focusing his giving on environmental preservation, education, and scientific research. His most significant structural contribution is the donation of 55,000 acres of land—more than 50 percent of the historic Irvine Ranch—for parks, greenways, and wilderness preserves, a landmark commitment to environmental conservation in Southern California.

His structural social impact is tied to the successful creation of master-planned, high-quality, sustainable communities in Orange County, which has profoundly influenced urban development practices.

Donald Bren maintains the highly professional, refined style of a major American real estate executive. His attire is consistently formal and high-quality, favoring tailored suits. His aesthetic is one of stability and composed authority, reflecting his immense control over Southern California's real estate market.

His luxury is the profound security and autonomy derived from his multi-billion dollar private fortune. His life is dedicated to the long-term, patient development of land, creating lasting, high-value communities while preserving vast wilderness areas.