Orange County’s 28 wealthiest people count a combined estimated wealth of $33.5 billion, according to the Business Journal’s annual list in the Aug. 6 issue.
This year’s group is up from $27.8 billion for the 27 people on our list last year.
Combined, 2007’s wealthiest are about as rich as Luxembourg.
Donald Bren, owner and chairman of The Irvine Company, makes up nearly a third of the wealth on the list.
At an estimated $10.5 billion, Bren is the richest person the county’s ever seen, surpassing Broadcom Corp. cofounders Henry Samueli and Henry Nicholas, who hit $10 billion apiece at the height of the technology boom.
The list counts nine billionaires, including one dual entry. A year ago, we had eight billionaires on our list.
Rising real estate and stock prices and better accounting on our part drove this year’s higher total.
Real estate accounts for all or part of the wealth for 10 entries on the list. Technology is next at six.
For more on this story, see the Aug. 6 edition of the Business Journal.
