The richest real estate mogul in the United States has made the drastic decision to sever ties with his son, coinciding with allegations against the 33-year-old of defrauding investors out of millions.

Donald Bren, the 92-year-old leader of California’s premier property company who is known for keeping out of the public eye, issued a brief and cutting declaration through a representative concerning his troubled son, David Bren, the figurehead of a private club venture dubbed ‘The Bunker.’

‘We do not have a personal or business relationship with this individual,’ Bren said of his own offspring, via a spokesperson. 

This statement represents the ultimate disavowal of a family member in the business world, targeting someone who purportedly used the Bren name to attract investors into what lawsuits have called a ‘fantasy’—a $90 million luxury club project that was nothing more than an illusion.

David Bren is alleged to have raised capital to fund an extravagant dream — a luxurious haven in Beverly Hills for billionaires, complete with supercars and cigars.

Bren pitched The Bunker as a ‘SoHo House for car lovers.’ 

The proposed club boasted $14,500 monthly memberships and access to a $50 million collection of luxury cars, including Bugattis, Ferraris, and Porsches, as well as opulent dining experiences, elite wine selections, and private cigar lounges.

Presentations to investors included names like Mark Cuban, Larry Ellison, basketball star Kristaps Porziņģis, and fashion scion August Getty as supposed founding figures.

The entire project was all anchored under the prestige of the Bren surname.

But lawsuits say The Bunker was nothing more than smoke, mirrors, and well-dressed PowerPoint slides. 

‘The Bunker does not exist. There is no ultra-high end automotive club. There are no members. The business is a mirage,’ one lawsuit bluntly alleges.

The brutality of father Donald Bren’s dismissal is almost as jaw-dropping as the alleged scheme itself. 

One of the richest men in America, with a net worth north of $19 billion, the real estate mogul is known for his obsession with control, minimalism, and precision.

He reportedly insists on 10-point Arial font in all documents and refuses to share elevators at his Irvine, California headquarters.

But when it came to his estranged son’s financial implosion Donald Bren opted for a colder response. 

To investors, many of whom say they were lured in by David’s last name, the billionaire’s detachment feels like both betrayal and vindication.

‘He presented like he could have picked up the phone and called his father right away,’ said Chris Rising, an associate of the Bren family whose LA realty firm was roped into David’s attempts to buy Mr. C’s Beverly Hills Hotel.

To other potential investors, David painted Donald as a deadbeat.

‘He was slick. He played this, like, victim; that’s how he pulled people’s heartstrings. ‘My Dad didn’t give me nothing; I could do this, but no one believes in me,’ said Mike Tran, a close friend of one investor to the Los Angeles Times.

More than a dozen investors say they poured six and seven-figure sums into The Bunker after being dazzled by David Bren’s swagger which included showing up to property tours in a purple Lamborghini and hosting luxury events he claimed were co-sponsored by Louis Vuitton.

Nanxi Liu, a tech entrepreneur, gave him $100,000.

‘He really pressed me on it. He said you have to invest in this. Put in half a million … do it for me. I’m involved in this business. I’m advising them … it’s going to be so awesome. It’s the SoHo House for car lovers,’ she recalled her mentor Tony Chen saying. 

Chen, who had championed Bren had pumped hundreds of thousands into the venture but soon spiraled into guilt, depression, and ultimately, suicide. 

He was found dead in a garage in San José in September 2022. He had hanged himself at the age of 46.

Tran, who housed Chen in his final weeks, believes Bren preyed on Chen’s trust.

‘Tony built out this thing for this guy like, ‘Oh man, he’s this underdog. He’s this David. And if he gets this right, he’s going to become Goliath,’ said Tran. 

Bren’s victims are left wondering how someone so connected could vanish with so much – and face no criminal charges.

At least four separate lawsuits accuse David Bren of fraud, defaulting on leases, forging luxury lifestyle appearances, and breaking into a Beverly Hills home to live rent-free. 

Judgments against him total roughly $2.6 million – and growing.

In one case, two Middle Eastern investors say they handed over $1 million for a Bunker location in Dubai. 

When they asked for a refund, Bren gave them a $500,000 check which bounced.

In another, a plaintiff says he earned a 25% return on a $100,000 seed investment – only to be lured into giving another $150,000. He never saw the money again.

Bren never showed up to court, nor retained attorneys in the Bunker cases, and has faced no criminal charges despite referrals to the LAPD and FBI. 

‘There’s nothing happening. The Bunker isn’t becoming anything,’ said Joshua Ritter, an attorney representing multiple defrauded investors. ‘There’s no locations opening. It’s all just talk.’

David Bren’s relationship with his billionaire father has always been fraught.

In 2003, when David was just 11, his mother Jennifer McKay Gold sued Donald Bren for retroactive child support. 

The case dragged out for years, exposing embarrassing details about the reclusive tycoon’s private life. 

Although a jury ruled in Donald’s favor in 2010, the damage to the family dynamic appears to have been irreversible.

Donald reportedly paid nearly $9 million in child support and education for David and his sister Christie, but withheld deeper involvement.

Bren’s emotional detachment is now legend. Bloomberg once described him as ‘scrupulous, though not much of a people person.’ 

He reportedly drives alone around Irvine in a dark SUV taking notes on landscaping he wants changed. Security clears hallways before he enters. Elevators are reserved for him alone. Even Irvine’s former mayor said she never met him.

Son, David Bren, was last known to be living in a Bel-Air mansion, and recent social media posts suggest he’s relocated to Miami.

While lawsuits stack up no criminal charges have been filed and no formal investigation is publicly known to be underway.

Nanxi Liu, whose lawsuit resulted in a default judgment after she received just $10,000 back, remains dumbfounded.

‘Here in the US we have what I feel is one of the strongest legal systems, and yet, this person is still able to do everything that he’s doing.’