Donald Bren — America's Richest Real Estate Developer's Secret Family
He fathered two children during a 13-year secret affair, then fought a $134 million child support claim — and won.
Key Facts
What Happened
Donald Bren, the chairman of Irvine Company and America's wealthiest real estate developer with an estimated fortune exceeding $15 billion, maintained a 13-year secret relationship with Jennifer McKay Gold beginning in 1984. They had two children together — Christie (born in Aspen, Colorado, to maintain secrecy) and David — under agreements that prohibited Gold from disclosing Bren's paternity to anyone.
The secrecy agreements included extraordinary provisions: the children could not be named Donald, Christie had to be born out of state, and Gold could never reveal who their father was. In exchange, Bren provided financial support — paying an estimated $9 million over the children's lifetimes for healthcare, education, and living expenses.
In 2010, when Christie was 22 and David was 18, Gold brought a lawsuit on their behalf seeking $400,000 per month each in retroactive child support for the years 1988-2002, totaling approximately $134 million. Gold argued that she had accepted lower payments because Bren promised to have a relationship with the children — a promise she claimed he broke.
The jury sided with Bren, finding that his $9 million in lifetime support was adequate and rejecting the retroactive claim entirely. The case exposed the extraordinary lengths to which billionaires go to conceal personal relationships and the children they produce — and demonstrated that secrecy agreements, however distasteful, can be legally enforceable.
Legal Breakdown: How secret paternity agreements and retroactive child support claims play out for billionaires
Paternity Secrecy Agreements
Bren's agreements with Gold prohibited disclosure of his paternity and included specific conditions about naming and birth location. While courts may view such agreements skeptically, they were not invalidated in this case.
Retroactive Child Support Claims
The children sought $400,000/month each in retroactive support based on Bren's ability to pay. Courts generally assess child support based on both parents' income and the children's needs — but ability to pay does not automatically equal obligation to pay at the maximum level.
Adequacy of Support vs. Proportionality
The jury found $9 million adequate despite Bren's $15 billion fortune. This suggests that courts and juries assess whether children's actual needs were met, not whether they received a proportional share of the billionaire parent's wealth.
What This Means for Your Divorce
- →Secret paternity agreements may be enforceable, but they create enormous legal and emotional risks for all parties.
- →Retroactive child support claims face a high burden — the fact that a parent could have paid more does not mean they were legally required to.
- →Children of billionaires do not automatically receive proportional child support — courts focus on needs, not on the parent's total wealth.
- →If you are involved in a paternity dispute with a wealthy individual, document all promises and agreements in writing from the very beginning.
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This article is based on publicly available court records, news reports, and legal analysis. It is provided for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is created by reading this content.
Divorce laws vary by jurisdiction. Always consult a licensed attorney in your area before making legal decisions.