Laguna Beach residents and the area’s LGBTQ community likely remember the multiyear “Save the Boom” campaign of local activist Fred Karger, which attempted to save and then resurrect the city’s iconic Boom Boom Room, a gay bar that closed in 2007.
Much of the campaign of persuasion was directed at the property’s owner, Steven F. Udvar-Házy, an L.A.-based multi-billionaire who made a fortune in the aircraft leasing industry: he bought the site and others nearby in 2005 as an investment.
Udvar-Házy is currently executive chairman of L.A.-based Air Lease Corp., one of the main competitors to Newport Beach’s Aviation Capital Group, which is getting a new majority owner— see Peter J. Brennan’s front-page story on the just-announced $3 billion deal.
Along with CEO Khanh T. Tran, ACG’s exec team includes another notable name: Steven Udvar-Házy, one of Steven F.’s children.
The local Steven serves as senior vice president for ACG and is a licensed Boeing 737 pilot to boot. His skills and family knowledge of the leasing industry have been crucial parts of ACG’s recent growth, Tran told Brennan.
As for the Boom Boom Room, Udvar-Házy sold the Coast Highway property in 2013; last month it was reported that a Bear Flag Fish Co. will take over the spot.
There’s been another unicorn spotting in the area. Palmer Luckey’s Anduril Industries is reported to have a new round of funding—with Silicon Valley venture capital heavyweight Andreessen Horowitz heavily involved—that values the upstart Irvine defense contractor at $1 billion.
News of the funding broke on Sept. 11, likely not a coincidence for the firm whose AI and VR-infused work is focused on keeping the country safe.
Marc Andreessen (who sits on the board of Facebook, along with Peter Thiel, whose VC has also invested in Anduril) previously backed Luckey’s last firm, VR goggle maker Oculus, prior to its $2 billion sale to Facebook five years ago.
Pat Fuscoe told friends last week that “I owe a lot to my experience in college, so payback time!”
It was a big payback to USC from Fuscoe—head of the namesake Irvine civil engineering firm—and his wife, Bonnie.
The couple, who met at the school in 1972, gave $10 million to its Viterbi School of Engineering and $1 million each to its Kaufman School of Dance and its School of Cinematic Arts.
Pat Fuscoe was the first in his family to go to college. He chose to go to USC because his late father, a WWII vet and mechanic for United Airlines, respected the engineering school.
Bill Gross’ transition into retired life has taken a turn toward the Danger Zone.
A news release last week from Laguna Beach’s Elite Productions International noted the Bond King hosted an elaborate Labor Day weekend birthday celebration at his Rockledge By the Sea home along Coast Highway, for life partner Amy Schwartz.
The event’s highlights included a “private concert by the couple’s favorite singer, Kenny Loggins,” the event hosting company said.
