The 25 wealthiest people in Orange County,including eight billionaires,count a collective $28 billion in estimated worth, according to the Business Journal’s fifth annual list out next week.
Their combined wealth is more than the gross domestic product of Luxembourg. The Irvine Company’s Donald Bren, who easily tops the list, is estimated to be worth more than the economy of Brunei.
This year’s group, which includes one more person than last year, counts $4 billion more in wealth than 2004’s.
Much of the gain came from higher estimates with rising real estate and stock prices. In other cases, we upped estimates for some after coming up with what we feel are better reflections of their wealth.
The cutoff to make this year’s list is $300 million, up from $250 million last year. To crack the top 10, you’ll need at least $775 million, versus last year’s $700 million. The top five? $1.75 billion, up from $1.2 billion.
For more on this story, see the Aug. 8 edition of the Business Journal.
