Brandon Fugal

Brandon Daniel Fugal (born April 3, 1973) is an American businessman, real estate developer, venture capitalist, He owns the 512-acre rural property in Utah known as Skinwalker Ranch and is executive producer and cast member of two History cable and streaming series The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch and Beyond Skinwalker Ranch.

Early life and education

Brandon Fugal was born and raised in Pleasant Grove, Utah. During his teenage years he worked as a ditch digger on construction crews

Fugal graduated from Pleasant Grove High School in 1991. After high school, from 1992 to 1994, he served on a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on the Hawaiian island of Oahu.

Fugal attended Utah Valley University in 1994 on a leadership scholarship but subsequently left to continue pursuing his real estate career. Fugal credits his education at the university with giving him the foundation needed to achieve a successful real estate and business career. The building houses the university's administrative offices, including the offices of president and vice-presidents, board conference room, classrooms, and student welcome center. Fugal received an honorary doctorate degree in business from the university at its annual commencement ceremony on April 29, 2026.

Like his father, Fugal was an Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America, the highest rank obtainable. Fugal received the Eagle Scout Award in 1987 at age 14.

Career

Fugal began his real estate activities part time while on a religious mission in Hawaii for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and continued after returning to Utah.

He co-founded Coldwell Banker Commercial Advisors in Utah in 1998 at age 25. It was acquired by Colliers International Group in 2018, and Fugal became chairman of Colliers International Utah, also known as Colliers Intermountain and Colliers Utah. He was featured on the July 2016 cover of Utah Business magazine in connection with the honor.

In Hawaii, he is part of Pomaika'i Partners and the effort to create an agricultural and land preservation destination called Laukiha'a Farms Community. He is an investor in the de-extinction and species preservation company Colossal Biosciences. Fugal described the acquisition in the following way: "It is the most unusual real estate play that I’ve ever had involvement in and it’s ended up becoming a very intriguing science project as well."

The ranch is the principal shooting location for the hour-long cable and streaming series The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch and a partial location for its sister series Beyond Skinwalker Ranch. Fugal is one of the stars of both series and has executive producer credit.

Fugal travels to the ranch in a 40-minute flight in a black Airbus H130 helicopter that is seen frequently on the show being used in aerial experiments piloted by his brother Cameron Fugal. Brandon Fugal is part owner of the helicopter along with his brothers, who operate an aviation business from a leased private hangar at Provo Airport.

On February 17, 2026, Fugal was honored in person, along with the cast of the series, by the Utah State Legislature for his and the series' contributions to the state.

Personal life

Fugal's first wife was Lacey Anne Fugal, with whom he has four children. Years after his first marriage ended in divorce, he married Kristen McCarty in late September 2021. Besides her being active in philanthropy and advocacy, Kristen Fugal is the Legal Affairs Director at the Fugal-owned company Adamantium Real Estate. Like her husband, she is an alum of Pleasant Grove High School and Utah Valley University. a 1611 first edition King James Bible, and a 1698 copy of The Celestial Worlds Discover'd.

He also has been recognized as a collector of high-end automobiles, including a Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Porsche.