Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Billionaire Donald Bren's Children say they Grew Up Hurt, Seek Cash

USA Today

Jennifer Gold and her son David Leroy Bren, whose father is billionaire developer Donald Bren. David, 18, and Christie Alexis Bren, 22 (not shown) are each seeking retroactive support of $400,000 a month from the Irvine Co. chairman.
 
 
Two adult children who are suing their billionaire father for part of his fortune say they grew up angry and hurt because they didn't know their father.

Irvine Co. Chairman Donald Bren greeted his adult children with a handshake in the courtroom.

Christie Bren, 22, and brother David Bren, 18, are seeking $400,000 a month each in retroactive child support for the years 1988 to 2002, which adds up to about $134 million.

Their mother, Jennifer Gold, is the billionaire's ex-girlfriend. She sued in 2003 alleging fraud and breach of contract on behalf of her children when they were minors.

Christie Bren acknowledged she never lacked for material things growing up in Beverly Hills but felt sad and abandoned because of her father's absence.

Her brother said his friends had their fathers around them and he did not.

"I had a lot of anger in me," he said. "I just felt like I was missing out on something I didn't really understand."

David Bren said he was 4 or 5 years old when he last saw his father, before the litigation started, so he was too young to remember much about him.

Donald Bren's attorneys say he already paid more than $10 million in child support, including money for college and graduate school.

He testified last week that he and Gold agreed that she would be responsible for raising their two children while he provided financial support.

On cross-examination, John Quinn, Donald Bren's lead trial attorney, asked David Bren about a summer he spent studying at Oxford University in England, and about traveling to Europe while growing up.

Quinn asked if David Bren felt deprived because he never went on a private jet or yacht, like his father. The 18-year-old said he did not and agreed that he had a happy and healthy childhood.

Donald Bren is 16th on the Forbes wealth list with an estimated net worth of $12 billion.

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