57.5 F
Laguna Hills
Monday, Mar 18, 2024
-Advertisement-

SPECIAL REPORT: OC 50 – Real Estate

SPECIAL REPORT: OC 50 – Real Estate

Profiles of the County’s most influential business people

GEORGE LEON ARGYROS

U.S. Ambassador to Spain

Owner, Arnel & Affiliates

Limited Partner, Westar Capital LLC

Born in Detroit, Feb. 4, 1937

Lives in Newport Beach (Harbor Island)

Developer, venture capitalist, philanthropist and political activist who added lofty title to his name when President Bush named him ambassador to Spain.

“I never thought he’d get through the confirmation process” Bush joked at recent Greek Independence Day speech. He did, after state probe into apartment deposits by his Arnel Development was settled,and with help from Dems, fellow Chapman U supporters Loretta Sanchez (another OC50er) and Wylie Aitken.

Add film critic to the list: wanting to share Southern Cali-fornia experience with Spanish dignitaries, took them to see David Lynch’s “Mullholland Drive.” Thumbs down: decried sad state of U.S. cinema to Michael Eisner at recent Anaheim visit.

Taken by horse-drawn carriage in tuxedo and tails, Argyros in December presented credentials to King Juan Carlos. Lives in four-bedroom suite on second floor of ambassador’s home next to the U.S. Embassy. Oversees 400 workers at Madrid embassy, Barcelona consulate (He’s also ambassador to Andorra, a tiny principality between France and Spain). Has work cut out: Spain a key front in terrorism war.

In recent years, political fundraising ($30 million to the Bush campaign) and failed push for El Toro airport took precedence over real estate endeavors.

Big real estate owner through Arnel & Affiliates, where he was chairman, CEO until his appointment. Company owns, manages 5,400 apartments in OC and more than 2 million square feet of office, industrial, retail properties. OC holdings include Metro Pointe retail, office complex near South Coast Plaza.

Formed venture capital firm Westar Capital in 1987; holdings include Doskocil Manufacturing, Amerigon, Tecstar, Cinetech, Verteq.

Major contributor to Chapman University, where business school bears his name. Donated $5 million to South Coast Rep, $1 million for college scholarships to Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Amer-icans. 1993 winner of the Horatio Alger Award; association’s treasurer, chairman emeritus.

Second-generation Greek-American. First job was mowing lawns. Early career stops include paperboy, grocery stores, food distribution. Earned licenses in securities, insurance, real estate.

Former owner of Seattle Mariners and AirCal, which he owned along with OC50er William Lyon.

Alumnus of Michigan State, Chapman. Recently stepped down as chairman of Chapman’s board of trustees, a position held since 1976. He’s still a director. Top Chapman benefactor: student center, Argyros Forum also named for him.

Former chairman, Richard Nixon Library; founding chairman of the Nixon Center in Washington, D.C.; former chairman, current board member, Orange County Council Boy Scouts of America. Still on the boards of Caltech, Beckman Foundation; former chairman.

Wife Judie (now goes by more Spanish sounding birth name Julia). Three children. Enjoys sailing, snow skiing, running, golf, fishing, hunting.

,Daniel D. Williams

DONALD LEROY BREN

Owner, Chairman,

The Irvine Company

Born in Los Angeles, May 11, 1932

Lives in Newport Beach (Linda Isle)

OC’s richest man, widely regarded as its most powerful with big swath of prime real estate under his watch. Assets, land development generate more than $1 billion in yearly revenue. Empire spans 28 million square feet of investment properties (apartments, retail, office, R & D; buildings). More than half of 93,000-acre Irvine Ranch set aside for parks, open space. Twenty years of development re-mains.

An avid outdoorsman, last year moved to set aside 11,000 Irvine Ranch acres as permanent open sp-ace. More than a quarter of the land previously pegged for development. Coined phrase “open space is freedom” while riding along Back Bay bike trail. This year, look for Bren to use money, political sway to create early public access to preserved space.

Oversaw Irvine Co. restructuring last year with Gary Hunt, Dick Sim moving on, Bill McFarland’s earlier departure. Fellow OC50ers Mike McKee, Clarence Barker as well as Dan Young moved up company ranks.

Extremely private, stays out of spotlight. Made rare appearance at his Newport Beach Four Seasons Hotel in November for land dedication. Comes to Newport Center office nearly every day, involved in all details of business, down to project colors, design.

Has hit rough patch in office business, along with rest of industry. But conservative, no-debt strategy said to be key in weathering storm. Poised for rebound in OC, not looking for more office projects out of region. Biggest tenant Cisco Systems leased but never occupied high-profile Silicon Valley campus.

Founded homebuilder Bren Co., now California Pacific Homes, in 1958, and later Mission Viejo Co., which he sold to Phillip Morris in 1972. Part of 1977 group acquiring control of Irvine Co. Bought out most partners for $518 million in 1983. In 1991 paid $256 million court award to heiresses Joan Irvine Smith, Athelie Clarke for their shares. Became 100% owner in 1996.

Political, personal ally of President Bush,both father and son. Big giver: more than $20 million donated to UCI. His Donald Bren Foundation matching up to $700,000 in donations to Irvine schools. Contributed 21,000 acres to Nature Reserve of Orange County.

UCI’s Bren Events Center named after his mother. School of Environmental Sciences at UC Santa Barbara bears his name. A Caltech trustee.

Son of real estate investor and Hollywood producer Milton Bren and Marion Bren, who divorced. Stepmother was actress Claire Trevor, who died in 2000. Business, economics degrees from University of Washington.

Married to entertainment lawyer Brigitte Bren, splits time between Los Angeles, Newport. Seeking to build new home on Harbor Island. Four children with previous wives. Accomplished skier. Also windsurfs, sails, plays tennis.

,Daniel D. Williams

JONATHAN MOSHEIM JAFFE

Vice President, Western Region President,

Lennar Corp.

Born in New York, Sept. 21, 1959

Lives in Emerald Bay

Head of OC’s largest homebuilder for years (Standard Pacific eked out bragging rights last year by two homes). Regional president of Miami based-Lennar Corp., led the homebuilder’s charge into California in 1995.

Saw cancellations after Sept. 11 give way to revived boom so far this year. In OC, Mission Viejo-based Lennar Homes California has built from Yorba Linda to Coto de Caza. OC home sales off 42% last year, but not for lack of demand. Blame it on no new land for developments.

Came to California from Florida in 1995. Starting from the ground up, has built Lennar into one of the three largest builders in the state, with strong emphasis on buying other builders. Oversaw combination of Lennar’s homebuilding operations and Los Angeles-based Pacific Greystone Corp. Followed that with U.S. Homes deal.

Oversees the company’s homebuilding division, which builds and sells homes primarily for entry-level, move-up, active adult buyers.

Under his watch, company has done more than $1.5 billion in buying since 1995. Lennar’s Western region controls more than 50,000 lots and 11 homebuilding operations in three states.

Became executive officer with parent Lennar in 1994. On national advisory board of HomeAid America.

Sees the housing market in OC remaining strong due to supply-demand imbalance. Rising interest rates could deter entry-level buyers, but remains optimistic about the health of the housing industry.

Leading way with company’s strategy to redevelop former defense facilities: redeveloping 500-acre Mare Island facility near San Francisco. Long term, sees former Tustin base as having big potential as masterplanned community.

Undergraduate from University of Florida, graduate studies in architecture at Georgia Tech University.

Wife Karen, three kids. Hobbies include tennis, enjoying the beach life and coaching kids’ little league teams.

,Daniel D. Williams

FRANK JAO

Chairman, Bridgecreek Group Inc.

Born in Haiphong, Vietnam, June 1949

Lives in Huntington Beach

“Mr. Little Saigon,” Jao has developed much of Vietnamese enclave. Portfolio in-cludes 750,000 square feet of retail, other space. Helped define ethnic building niche in Westminster. Known as chow fou,Chinese for godfather.

In semi-retirement, accepted invitation to head up West Coast arm of U.S. Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce, based in Washington, D.C.

He’s using own resources to support the group’s local arm, which helps Asian-American companies secure corporate, government contracts.

Has developed strong political presence. President Bush named Jao to the board of the Vietnam Education Foundation, which plans to spend $5 million a year on educational exchanges between U.S., Vietnam.

On Feb. 11, the eve of the Vietnamese/Chinese New Year, Jao hosted 50 prominent Asian business owners to celebrate Mayor Richard Riordan’s gubernatorial bid. Jao and co-host Henry Le of Lee’s Sandwiches fame, raised more than $50,000 for Riordan. Since has thrown support behind Bill Simon.

“This is just the beginning,” Jao said. “We will continue to play an active role in making sure that we support candidates that are sympathetic to our issues.”

Fled Saigon in 1975 as communists took over city. An Air Force jet lifted Jao and 400 refugees to safety. Arrived in Westminster’s Vietnamese community with $50. Sold Kirby vacuum cleaners and studied real estate. Later, worked as security guard by night, real estate broker by day. Earned real estate license in 1976, founded Bridgecreek two years later.

Of ethnic Chinese origin. Born in Vietnam. Detests stereotypes. Changed spelling of name to Americanize it. Pronounced “chow.”

Received bachelor’s in business from Vietnam. Studied in graduate program at Harvard University’s School of Design. Speaks fluent English, Vietnamese, Chinese. Wife Cathie. Two daughters.

,Daniel D. Williams

DONALD MILTON KOLL

Principal, The Koll Company

Born in Santa Monica, March 29, 1933

Lives in Beverly Hills (Trousdale Estates)

One of a core group of developers who have shaped OC’s commercial landscape, Koll is said to have several new projects in various stages of planning. “He feels like a kid again,” colleague says.

2001 was a year of change: left company that bears his name, Koll Development, only to launch another, The Koll Company, with former Koll Development execs Jerry Yahr, Bryan McGowan and Alan Airth formerly of Grubb & Ellis.

Since 1962, has developed more than 72 million square feet of office, industrial, retail and entertainment space. In 1972, partnered with Tim Strader to design and develop the 100-acre Koll Center Newport at Jamboree Road and MacArthur Boulevard. Today, the site counts 13 buildings and nearly 1.2 million square feet of office space. Chipmaker Conexant Systems Inc. is main tenant. Last year, sold stake in Koll Center South to Strader.

In 1998, New York-based NorthStar Capital Investment Co. financed the Don Koll-led buyout of Koll Development. But the two had differences, and Koll stepped down as chief executive in 2001.

Maintains a stake in Koll Development projects in Mexico and in company’s building arm, Koll Construction Co.

Before leaving, completed eight-story, 187,000-square-foot first phase of Koll Center Irvine North tower at Main and MacArthur, started second building with plans to sell it once project leased up.

Says he’s busier now than ever in his career.

Began development push in Los Cabos. Holds 500 acres of land surrounding Palmilla resort community, which is being subdivided and sold to individuals and developers. Has stake in Los Angeles-based CB Richard Ellis.

Is buddies with fellow OC50er Don Bren, sits on Bren’s Irvine Company board. Also on boards of CB Richard Ellis (whose CEO is former Koll general Ray Wirta) and OC 50er Bill Foley’s Fidelity National Financial.

Partner with Bren’s brother Peter Bren and Chuck Schreiber in Koll Bren Realty Advisors, an asset manager with 66 million square feet of space.

Contributor to the Washington, D.C.-based Prince of Wales Foundation. Late last year went to Scotland to dine with Prince Charles at his Edinburgh castle. Last year hosted former Gov. Pete Wilson, Buzz Aldrin, former ambassador to Mexico John Gavin and others at a party for the release of “Villard,” a biography of Civil War journalist and industrialist Henry Villard.

Earned bachelor’s in economics from Stanford. Former Air Force fighter pilot. Wife Mary “Kathi,” one son, five daughters.

,Daniel D. Williams

WILLIAM LYON

Chairman, CEO, William Lyon Homes Inc.

Born in Los Angeles, March 9, 1923

Lives in Coto de Caza

Longtime homebuilder who’s weathered industry’s ups and downs and seen company bearing his name soar of late with housing boom.

Started out with brother Leon in the 1950s. Said to be grooming son Bill Lyon. In all, has put up more than 75,000 homes. Helped create Southern California su-burban landscape.

These days, he and his connections are one of William Lyon Homes’ most intangible assets: “His reputation carries weight with land sellers,” says President Wade Cable.

In 1999, Lyon engineered troubled Presley’s buy of William Lyon Homes for $48 million. Combined company renamed Will-iam Lyon Homes, itself a product of hard times. Lyon saw his empire reduced to rubble by the late-1980s downturn with lenders taking virtually all the assets of his William Lyon Co. Doggedly worked through the disaster without resorting to bankruptcy. Started William Lyon Homes in 1993.

Company revenue topped $468 million for 2001, OC’s fourth-largest builder last year with 467 homes. Building in California, Arizona, Nevada. Counts 42 sales locations.

Lyon once favored buying large parcels for development. Has evolved company strategy along with changing landscape. Now follows more conservative approach with construction of 100- to 200-unit subdivisions. Recently tapped by Irvine Co. to build at Quail Hill.

Owns majority stake in William Lyon Property Management and the 10,000 apartment units it owns or manages.

Aviation buff. Owns Air Lyon, partial owner of Martin Aviation. Previous owner (with fellow OC50er George Argyros) of AirCal. Also, an avid car collector: has 52 antiques, including 10 Duesenbergs (only 480 made). His 1931 Duesenberg J Speedster took best of show at 2000 Newport Beach Concours d’Elegance.

Retired Air Force major general, 17 combat decorations. Chief of the Air Force Reserve, 1975 to 1979. Attended Dallas Aviation School and Air College, USC.

Major fundraiser, philanthropist: Reagan Library, Orangewood Children’s Foundation, OC Performing Arts Center and USC, where athletics complex is named for him.

Lives with wife Willa Dean in mansion on 130 acres in Coto de Caza. Five children.

,Daniel D. Williams

MICHAEL D. McKEE

Vice Chairman, Chief Operating Officer,

The Irvine Company

Born in Clinton, Ill., Jan. 2, 1946

Lives in Emerald Bay

CLARENCE W. BARKER

President, Investment Properties Group,

The Irvine Company

Born in Tulsa, Okla., July 27, 1948

Lives in Corona del Mar

After a two-year managerial shakeout, McKee emerged as undisputed second-in-command to Chair-man Donald Bren. Irvine Co. hadn’t filled the No. 2 slot since Tom Nielsen stepped down as president more than a decade ago.

Kicked off his real estate career in the 1970s and early ’80s as attorney with Latham & Watkins. Worked on some of the earliest real estate investment trusts.

Worked closely with Bren on a number of Irvine Co. initiatives, including the Irvine Apartment Communities public offering in 1993. In 1994, was brought in-house as Irvine Co.’s chief legal officer and Bren’s personal attorney for business deals.

Instrumental in the deals that enabled Bren to buy out minority shareholders to become 100% owner of the company, as well as in Bren’s 1999 buyback of IAC. Said to be like Bren: gentlemanly, private. “He’s not a bomb-thrower,” colleague said. Became chief financial officer in 1996. Now oversees all non-operational functions of the company,legal, finance, government, community relations. As vice chairman, he and Bren form two-person operations management committee overseeing all aspects of the company. Focused on “managing effectively through difficult times.”

Not a developer by training, though his background is key to company that’s increasingly an asset manager.

Weathered a tough year as the company saw 2 million square feet of vacant space in Irvine Spectrum. Irvine Co. also lowered lease rates in many of its facilities. Other parts of business done better than local market averages.

Says company will be prudent, conservative this year. Remains in cautious mode until the economic health of the market becomes clearer.

Board member, Hoag Hospital Foundation, Health Care Property Investors Inc., Realty Income Corp., Mandalay Resort Group. Provided legal counsel to the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee. Wife, Cindy. Two children, one grandchild. Avid golfer. Works out regularly, taken up yoga. Was Episcopal priest before becoming a lawyer.

Barker, schooled by former Irvine Co. executive Dick Sim, oversees the investment properties group’s day-to-day activities. At different times, headed all of the company’s income properties. Current division responsible for about 28 million square feet of office, retail property (including the 5,000-acre Spectrum) and some 26,000 apartments in 75 communities owned or being built by the company.

Joined in 1988 as vice president of development for the Irvine Office Co., helping plan and implement construction of a string of new office projects, including University Research Park. Also served as president of Irvine Industrial Co. (which since has been rolled into the Irvine Office Properties entity), Irvine Office Co. and Irvine Apartment Communities.

Prior to Irvine Co., served as vice president of development for Williams Realty Corp. of Tulsa, Okla., whose portfolio included high-rise office buildings, hotels and shopping malls.

Member of the Urban Land Institute; director, United Way of Orange County. Company liaison to UCI.

He holds a bachelor’s in business and accounting from Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Okla.

Wife Eve, three children.

,Daniel D. Williams

ANTHONY RICHARD MOISO

CEO, President,

Rancho Mission Viejo LLC

Born in West Los Angeles, Sept. 17, 1939

Lives in Emerald Bay

Orange County’s second-biggest landowner behind Donald Bren.

Runs Rancho Mission Viejo LLC, land management company for Moiso-O’Neill family’s development, leasing, farming, cattle operations in South OC and North Fork, Nev. Locally, family controls 25,000 acres of undeveloped land.

Big plans: 30-year vision calls for 14,000 homes, 5.1 million square feet of development on 23,000 acres. And big challenge: plan has drawn criticism from environmentalists, some officials, though it sets aside roughly 14,000 acres as open space.

Grooming next generation of leadership, including daughters Anne Marie, Cristy, Katrina and Francesca, as well as other family members.

Had struggles while overseeing Rancho Santa Margarita masterplanned community, a casualty of last California recession. Has rebounded with the success with Ladera Ranch, a 4,000-acre masterplanned community near Mission Viejo. Seeing record sales so far this year.

A staunch Repub-lican, shared childhood friendship in West L.A. with Democratic Gov. Gray Davis. The two later attend Stanford and joined the same fraternity. Uncle Richard O’Neill, 79, is Democratic bigwig.

Earned history, political science degrees from Stanford. Served two years in Army as infantry officer. Along with fellow OC50er Bren, started Mission Viejo Co. Revived Santa Margarita Co. in 1973.

In California Building Industry Foundation’s Hall of Fame. Chairman of Directors for the Mission Preservation Foundation working to maintain Mission San Juan Capistrano.

Wife Melinda, four daughters, three granddaughters. Well known for his love of horses, also bicycles, hikes, skis and golfs.

,Daniel D. Williams

IGOR OLENICOFF

Owner, CEO,

Olen Properties Corp.

Born near Moscow, Russia, Sept. 19, 1942

Lives in Emerald Bay

Private, no-nonsense businessman who’s become one of OC’s most successful developers. Portfolio stretches from Southern California to Florida.

Commercial operations span more than 4.5 million square feet in OC, 2,000 tenants, 380 buildings. The company also owns vacant land set to house another 1.25 million square feet.

Orchard Technology Park, 100,000-square-foot Lake Forest development, set to finish this summer. Recently completed two buildings at Olen Pointe Brea, where company has tangled with city over art requirement for new buildings. In Nov-ember, paid $19 million for Irvine Spect-rum’s Kilroy Tech-nology Center.

Diversified into housing in the 1980s. Olen Residential owns more than 10,000 apartments with another 1,000 or so under development annually. Added Phoenix to portfolio in recent years with acquisition of apartments. Nearing 1,000 units in the area. Apartment portfolio has received stronger focus in recent years, especially in Florida. Total portfolio nearly doubled in the past three years, now stands at more than 11,000 apartments.

Launched Olen Development arm. In midst of major $250 million entertainment center development in Florida as part of venture with Canadian partner. No plans at this point for other centers.

Olen Properties headquartered in one of the more distinctive OC buildings: Huge, museum-like structure on Corporate Plaza near Fashion Island.

Parents fled Russian communism due to family ties with Tsar Nicholas II. Family fled to Persia (now Iran) and came to U.S. in 1957. Attended missionary school where he became fluent in English, Russian, Farsi.

Worked his way through USC where he graduated with four degrees,bachelor’s in business and engineering, MBA in finance, master’s in quantitative analysis.

Worked for Shell Oil Co., Touche Ross, Motown Records. Founding partner in real estate syndicator Gemini Pacific; VP of operations at Dunn Properties before starting Olen in 1973.

Wife Jeanne; son Andrei, USC grad who works as vice president at Olen Properties; daughter Natalia, a USC student.

Hobbies: snow and water skiing, off-road motorcycle riding.

,Daniel D. Williams

HENRY THOMAS SEGERSTROM

Managing Partner,

C.J. Segerstrom & Sons

Born in Orange County, April 5, 1923

Lives in Newport Beach

Managing partner of C.J. Segerstrom & Sons, developer, owner of South Coast Plaza. Operational head and public face of family business. Cousin-in-law Jeanette Segerstrom, co-managing partner, died last year. His stake in company said to be around 25%, smaller than that of Jeanette’s estate.

The family’s crown jewel is South Coast Plaza, considered the first shopping center in the country to have topped $1 billion in sales in a single year. The company’s retail holdings exceed 2.7 million square feet.

Also owns two high-rises,Plaza Tower and Center Tower,in the Town Center business district of Costa Mesa.

Still growing: late last year got city approval for Home Ranch,a mix of 192 homes, 1 million square feet of office, industrial and retail space on family’s remaining 93 acres.

Fellow OC50er Paul Folino’s Emulex plans to relocate there.

Also on the drawing board are plans for development of 90-acre Armstrong Ranch in Santa Ana, which will include 300 homes and a cathedral for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange.

Fashion Square Ventures, a separate entity of Henry, other family members and other parties, has minority stake in MainPlace mall in Santa Ana, which is being bought by Australia’s Westfield Holdings.

Has completed major revamping of former Crystal Court retail complex across from South Coast Plaza, including a foot bridge between the two centers.

Leading arts patron: recently gave $40 million and pushed for approval of the planned Segerstrom Center for the Arts. Family donated 6 acres (latest of several land contributions) for a concert hall and other facilities.

Facing off in probate court with free-spirited stepdaughter Mikette von Issenberg over $2.5 million in assets related to death of prior wife Renee M. Segerstrom two years ago.

Grandfather C.J. was Swedish immigrant farmer; by 1950s family was leading lima bean grower. Took over from Uncle Harold T., changed focus from farming to development.

Rose from Army private to field artillery captain; received Purple Heart in World War II. Bachelor’s and MBA from Stanford. Honorary doctorate of law from Western State University.

Married to Elizabeth, third wife and recently naturalized U.S. citizen. Sons Anton and Toren from first wife. Anton and son-in-law David Grant involved in business.

,Daniel D. Williams

Want more from the best local business newspaper in the country?

Sign-up for our FREE Daily eNews update to get the latest Orange County news delivered right to your inbox!

-Advertisement-

Featured Articles

-Advertisement-
-Advertisement-
-Advertisement-
-Advertisement-

Related Articles

-Advertisement-
-Advertisement-