Billionaire land developer Donald L. Bren is undergoing a trial in Los Angeles by two of his adult children who want $400k a month in back child support. In the Donald L. Bren child support trial this week, two of his children claim that he’s been stingy with child-support after they were cut-off by him in 1997.
But of course, its much more complicated than just him being stingy.
The bitter civil suit is giving the public a glimpse into Bren’s fortune. He is known as a major political donor and generous philanthropist. However, two of his children claim he’s not been generous with them.
His two children who are suing him are from a former lover, Jennifer McKay Gold, are Christie, 22-years-old, and David, 18-years-old. He has seven children in all. Christie and David claim that their father owes them $400,000 per month each.
Apparently, when Gold and Bren broke up, they had a private out-of-court agreement for $10,000 per month child support for each of their two children. Gold claims that Bren broke the agreement in 2002 and she filed a suit against him in 2003. She claims that he broke off his relationship with her two children in 1997 after she told him that she didn’t want to be in a relationship with him. She claims he has even refused to speak to them when he’s seen them in public.
Gold and her children claim that the $400k amount is reasonable since because had Bren being paying formal child support from 1988 to 2002 it would have amounted to a much larger sum of money. In addition, she says Bren spends $3 million to $5 million per month so an additional $1 million is not unreasonable.
Jon Freund, Bren’s personal attorney, says that Bren has paid millions of dollars. He says that after 15-years, Gold is now coming forward with an alleged oral promise that no one else knew about. Freund, who is not representing Bren in this civil case, says she is just trying to get more money from him.
Donald L. Bren, 78-years-old, is estimated to have a personal wealth of $12 billion. He is 16th on Forbes list of 400 richest Americans for 2009.
In the Donald L. Bren child support trial this week, do you think his two adult children wanting $400k A Month is excessive or a reasonable amount to expect from their billionaire father?
August 16th, 2010 at 7:41 pm
I think the kids should be ashamed for being so greedy…and dad is a jerk. No one needs 400k per mo. child support. No one!
August 16th, 2010 at 8:59 pm
tell them to get a job like normal people. Get off their a_ _ _ s. Money don’t grow on trees.
August 16th, 2010 at 11:25 pm
If my ole man didn’t want to be bothered with me I wouldn’t want to be bothered with him… screw him and his money Allah will take care of him. He gave me life and I would appreichate that, but he aint no better then me, if he can make it out here so could I and he’s going to hell and I aint
August 17th, 2010 at 5:49 am
It’s a shame that they do not have a releationship with their father. However $400,000 a month is a rediculous amount. I say pay the back child support old and move on. The one to blame for their greed is their mom; this is not about the children this is about her winning in the end. I do hope in the end they build a relationship with their father.
August 17th, 2010 at 5:53 am
It is truly a shame that there is no cohesiveness between the father and his children. Is this about money or is it about all of the hurt from being rejected? He was rejected by his lover and in turn, rejected their children. Sadly, the children suffer the most. But, it appears that they are trying to get validation by forcing their father’s hand in court. It is pathetic that all involved can’t see what is most important and priceless….the love of one another. You can’t buy that.
August 17th, 2010 at 7:10 am
400k a month? What spoiled little bastards.
August 17th, 2010 at 7:26 am
It’s hard to determine if Bren owes all or any portion of the back child support because of the unexplained suit filed by Gold in 2003. But, buy the orginal child support agreement, it seems that Bren would owe $720,000 for back support for his daughter from 2003 to her 21st birthday and $840,000 to date for back support for his son and $10,000 a month until the boy is 21 years old. He should also pay for all attorneys fees and court costs. The article does not say that they expect $400,000 a month for any named amount of time – it does mention that they want this amount because had he been paying under the original agreement it would have amounted to that. Are they asking for $400,000 a month for three months – that would catch him up on both children, then he could continue to pay $10,000 a month for David until he is 21. We don’t have all the facts in this case and taking “dead beat” dads to court is unfortunately a daily need.
August 19th, 2010 at 6:29 pm
This is just too brats that need to get a job. He owes then nothing. High earners do not owe a life of luxury to anyone. It’s his money,his not theirs. I hope legislatures fix a cap on chikd support to 1000USD per moth even for the highest earners. People paying 18000 or more for one child is unfair and unwise. In the real world one must put forth the effort to earn money. They need to get a job and learn to work. Perhaps they wil have the skills to do well perhaps not that is life.
August 22nd, 2010 at 5:30 am
You’re kidding me, right? They kids want $400K per month in retroactive child support? It appears she began this ridiculous civil suit when they were still minors, which indicates the mother is pushing this entire mess. It has, therefore, likely been HER actions that created such an unfortunate rift between her children and their father. That’s disgraceful, and she should be ashamed of herself.
My guess is that she is seeing that Mr. Bren is getting on in years and wanted to ensure a nice payout for herself (via her children) upon his demise and used her children as bait for a fat settlement. It is lmore ikely she was not met with the response she had hoped – thus this protracted suit that brought about and estrangement between father and children – over money they obviously didn’t need.
In the end, all she really accomplished was ensure that her children will be cut out of Dad’s will when he croaks – AND see to it that they will never have had their father in their lives while they were growing up. How sad.
Her children clearly never wanted for anything material and had relationship with their father until, is seems, mother dearest interferred in all that. I haven’t read of any of his other five children claiming to have been so ‘deprived’.
August 23rd, 2010 at 2:23 am
Children deserve to live in the lifestyle
of their parents..Thats just the way it is.The issue is not one of NEED as, after all, no one needs that amount of money. Good luck kids. You DESERVE the money as that stingy codger cheated you both for a very long time.