O.C. chairman ranks 23rd on Forbes 400 richest list

Which of the following three men commands the most capital: music industry tycoon David Geffen, “Star Wars” visionary George Lucas or Newport Beach philanthropist Donald Bren?

According to Forbes magazine’s annual list of the 400 richest Americans, Bren is the wealthiest of the three.

The Irvine Co. chairman placed 23rd on the magazine’s list, joining three other local luminaries in rubbing elbows with Bill Gates, Rupert Murdoch and the leaders of Wal-Mart. Bren, a longtime benefactor of UC Irvine, was the fifth-highest-ranking Californian on the list and the top one from Orange County.

Henry Samueli, head of the chip designer Broadcom, placed 195th on the list, with real estate giants George Arygyros and Igor Olenicoff at 271 and 286, respectively.

It was a good showing for Newport Beach for another reason: The city was the only Orange County location to place any residents in the top 150.

— Michael Miller