Donald Bren
Category Billionaires
Industry Real Estate
Company Irvine Co.
What Makes Him Haute One of the wealthiest men in Orange County, Bren is chairman of the Irvine Company, one of the most respected and diversified privately held real estate companies in America. He was one of the first to develop the idea of “planned communities.” He is also a respected philanthropist, with a lifetime giving total of more than $1.3 billion.
Harry “Skip” Brittenham
Category Thinkers
Industry Law
Company Ziffren, Brittenham, Branca Fischer, Gilbert-Lurie Stiffelman, Cook, Johnson Lande & Wolf LLP
What Makes him Haute He co-founded boutique law firm Ziffren with partner Kenneth Ziffren 30 years ago. Today the firm is the largest of its kind and represents A-listers including Harrison Ford, Eddie Murphy, Bruce Willis, Bob and Harvey Weinstein, and Revolution Studios founder Joe Roth. Brittenham sits on the board of a number of local charitable organizations.
Eli & Edythe Broad
Category Power Couples
Industry Development /Manufacturing
Company Kaufman & Broad
What Makes them Haute A native of Detroit, Michigan, Broad made his fortune with his real estate company, Kaufman & Broad, and then went on to found financial company SunAmerica where he served as CEO. He is actively involved in revitalizing L.A.’s downtown area and is an avid supporter of enriching the city’s cultural life. The Broads created a family foundation in the 1960s as a way to support their charitable interests and causes. The Broad Foundations, which include The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation and The Broad Art Foundation, have assets of $2.5 billion.
Jerry Bruckheimer
Category Thinkers
Industry Film
Company Jerry Bruckheimer Films
What Makes Him Haute As a film and TV producer, the former advertising executive is behind some of the biggest blockbusters of the past three decades, including Top Gun, Bad Boys, The Rock, Armageddon, the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, and hit television shows such as CSI.
Kobe Bryant
Category Athletes
Industry Basketball
Company L.A. Lakers
What Makes Him Haute The All-World shooting guard for the Lakers will go down in history as one of the greatest players ever in the NBA.
Ronald Burkle
Category Billionaires
Industry Investments/Supermarkets
Company Yucaipa Companies
What Makes Him Haute He made his fortune buying and selling supermarket chains, including Wild Oats, which was recently bought by Whole Foods for a hefty half-billion-dollar sum. His private equity firm, Yucaipa Companies, invests in retail, manufacturing, and distribution.
Dr. Jerry Buss
Category Entrepreneurs
Industry Basketball
Company L.A. Lakers
What Makes Him Haute The Lakers have flourished under his ownership, winning eight world championships. His 1979 purchase of the team (along with other entities) for $67.5 million was the largest transaction in sports history at the time.
Blake Byrne
Category Thinkers
Industry Philanthropy
Company Nasher Museum of Arts
What Makes Him Haute The influential Los Angeles art collector is also a MOCA trustee that donated a record gift to the museum’s permanent collection. Featuring 128 works by 78 artists, the Byrne collection spans from 1950 to present.
Rick Caruso
Category Originators
Industry Real Estate Development
Company Caruso Affiliated
What Makes Him Haute As L.A. Business Journal’s “Developer of the Year,” and a past president of the Police Commission, Caruso is one the most influential members of the Los Angeles community. The developer of the Grove, the Americana at Brand, and other retail-entertainment projects has transformed neighborhoods and changed the shopping landscape.
Alan Casden
Category Billionaires
Industry Real Estate
Company Casden Properties LLC
What Makes Him Haute One of the wealthiest men in the world, this self-made accountant-turned-developer billionaire is a builder of inner-city, high-density real estate. He is a loyal backer of Jewish and Israeli causes.
News
January 2, 2009House of Lange: A. Lange & Söhne Watches
