MIKE MCKEE
PRINCIPAL
CONTRARIAN GROUP
WHY: Longtime real estate veteran. One-time CEO of Irvine Co. and former right-hand man of Donald Bren. Currently, principal of private equity firm Contrarian Group and chairman of mega-star Tiger Woods’ TGR Foundation.
IN THE NEWS: TGR’s primary source of funding comes from individual donations and corporate grants in addition to several annual golf events hosted by Woods, including two PGA TOUR events, the NEXUS Cup in New York, the Tiger Woods Invitational at Pebble Beach and Tiger Jam in Las Vegas.
NOTABLE: McKee, a resident of Laguna Beach, was approached to join TGR Foundation in 2004—when he was still with Irvine Co.—by the chief executive of the sports charity at the time. McKee and his wife, Cindy, have gifted $7M to TGR Foundation to support its initiatives, including Pathways Forward.
QUOTABLE: “It’s been incredibly rewarding to be a part of an organization that has had a positive impact on more than two million kids.”
