Richest US real estate mogul Donald Bren disowns son David over $2M 'man cave' scam

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: The son of billionaire real estate mogul Donald Bren has been accused of swindling investors out of more than $2 million through a fake luxury car club venture, a scandal that has now prompted his father, one of the richest men in the United States, to publicly disown him.

According to multiple lawsuits obtained, 33-year-old David Bren allegedly fabricated an alleged high-end social club called 'The Bunker', which he marketed as the “ultimate man cave” for the ultra-wealthy.

The venture promised elite access to luxury vehicles, fine dining experiences, and rare wines and cigars, all of which, prosecutors and investors now claim, never existed.

Billionaire’s son accused of masterminding fake ‘man cave’ venture

Investor presentations and promotional decks described The Bunker as “the Soho House for car lovers,” touting a lavish Beverly Hills clubhouse where members could mingle among Ferraris, Bugattis, and Porsches.

High-profile names such as Mark Cuban, Larry Ellison, August Getty, and Kristaps Porzingis were allegedly cited as founding members in materials circulated by Bren, though there’s no evidence any were involved.

Investors were told membership would cost around $14,500 per month, with the project anchored by a $90 million purchase of Mr C’s Beverly Hills Hotel, a deal that never went through.

According to court filings, the entire business was a “charade designed to lure investors… to fund his own extravagant lifestyle.” One lawsuit declared flatly: “The Bunker does not exist. There is no ultra-high-end automotive club. There are no members. The business is a mirage.”

Donald Bren distances himself from son amid scandal

Donald Bren, 93, chairman of the Irvine Company and estimated to be worth $19 billion, has issued a rare public statement cutting ties with his son.

“We do not have a personal or business relationship with this individual,” Bren’s spokesperson, Paul Hernandez, told The New York Post, making clear the billionaire will not intervene in his son’s legal troubles.

This is not the first time the family’s strained dynamic has surfaced publicly. In 2003, Donald Bren’s ex-girlfriend, Jennifer McKay Gold, sued him for millions in retroactive child support on behalf of their two children, including David. Although Bren had reportedly paid around $9 million in support, the jury ruled in his favor.

Despite their history, several of David’s alleged victims claim he leveraged his father’s name to win trust and sympathy, alternating between boasting about connections to the billionaire and portraying himself as an estranged underdog.

“He presented like he could have picked up the phone and called his father right away,” said Chris Rising, a family associate who briefly worked with David on a potential property deal.

Investor losses and tragic fallout

Court records and interviews reveal that dozens of investors lost hundreds of thousands of dollars to The Bunker scheme. One tech entrepreneur, Nanxi Lu, said she invested $100,000 after Bren assured her he had already secured the Beverly Hills property.

When cracks in the plan began to show, Bren allegedly returned only $10,000 and offered Lu a “complimentary membership” once the club opened. Two other investors, Elham Alsulaiman and Zainal Alireza, claimed Bren wrote them a $500,000 check that later bounced.

The most devastating fallout involved Tony Chen, a Bay Area investor who had reportedly poured nearly $1 million into the venture. According to Lu and others, Chen became consumed by the project and fell into despair when it unraveled. In September 2022, he was found dead by suicide in his garage.

“Tony built out this thing for this guy like, ‘He’s this underdog… if he gets this right, he’s going to become Goliath,’” said friend Mike Tran. “He really believed in him.

A trail of lawsuits and unanswered questions

Attorney Joshua Ritter, representing at least eight of Bren’s alleged victims, said lawsuits continue to mount as more investors come forward. Many claim they were misled by Bren’s false connections to his father’s empire, the Irvine Company.

Despite the growing scandal, David Bren has not publicly commented and did not respond to requests for statements via phone or email.

With his father’s fortune and reputation firmly insulated, David now faces the legal and financial fallout alone, a stunning fall from grace for the son of one of California’s most powerful families.