The wealthiest of Orange County saw some fluctuations but largely held their own on Forbes’ 2009 list of the 400 richest Americans.
Donald Bren, chairman and owner of Irvine Company, is the highest ranking local on the list at No. 16 at an estimated $12 billion in wealth.
Forbes’ estimate, unchanged from a year ago, matches the Business Journal’s estimate for Bren in our August list of OC’s Wealthiest.
Jim Jannard, founder of Foothill Ranch-based Oakley Inc., comes in at No. 113 on Forbes’ list at an estimated $2.8 million, down from $3 billion a year earlier.
Jannard ranked No. 6 on the Business Journal’s August list at an estimated $1.5 billion.
David Sun and John Tu, cofounders and owners of Fountain Valley-based Kingston Technology Co., rank No. 123 on Forbes’ list at an estimated $2.5 billion each, down from $4 billion a year earlier.
Sun and Tu were estimated at $1.75 billion by the Business Journal in August.
Bill Gross, co-chief investment officer at Newport Beach-based Pacific Investment Management Co., ranks No. 158 on Forbes’ list at an estimated $2 billion, unchanged from a year earlier.
The Business Journal pegged Gross at $1.1 billion in August.
Forbes split on Irvine-based Broadcom Corp. cofounders Henry Samueli and Henry Nicholas. The magazine put Samueli at No. 212 at an estimated $1.65 billion, down from $1.8 billion a year ago.
Nicholas came in at No. 236 at $1.5 billion, down from $1.8 billion a year ago.
In August, the Business Journal valued Samueli at $1.8 billion and Nicholas at $1.7 billion.
Real estate investors George Argyros and Igor Olenicoff were among those who tied for the No. 236 spot on Forbes’ list at $1.5 billion each.
Argyros was down from $1.8 billion a year ago. Olenicoff was down from $1.7 billion.
In August, the Business Journal pegged Argyros at $1 billion and Olenicoff at $1.2 billion.
