Brandon Fugal
Brandon Fugal is a Utah-based business leader best known as the owner of Skinwalker Ranch and a central figure on the History Channel series The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch. Born April 1, 1973, in Pleasant Grove, Utah, he is the Chairman and co‑owner of Colliers International in Utah, a leading commercial real‑estate firm. Of Scandinavian ancestry, he is known for his light blue eyes.
Raised in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Fugal traces his family roots to early Mormon settlers in Utah. LDS belief includes the idea of “worlds without number” created by God and inhabited by His children—a concept that helps explain his openness to the possibility of intelligent life beyond Earth. He has said that this outlook harmonizes with his science‑first approach to investigating Skinwalker Ranch while remaining receptive to possibilities beyond conventional explanations.
In 2016, Fugal purchased the 512‑acre Skinwalker Ranch in Utah from aerospace entrepreneur Robert Bigelow through Adamantium Real Estate LLC. Initially an open‑minded skeptic, his interest began years earlier after learning about the ranch’s history of UFO sightings and paranormal events. Since acquiring the property, he has invested millions in advanced research tools, including hyperspectral imaging, LIDAR, ground‑penetrating radar, magnetometers, and thermal imaging cameras. His investigation team—led by Erik Bard and including Dr. Travis S. Taylor, Bryant “Dragon” Arnold, Thomas Winterton, and Jim Morse—has examined phenomena such as ionizing radiation, transient electromagnetic fields, unusual aerial sightings, and cattle mutilations.
In 2025, he discussed his own UFO encounters in multiple interviews. On a June 2025 episode of Andy Stumpf’s “Change Agents” podcast, he described seeing a silver, disc‑shaped craft hovering over the ranch’s mesa in 2016 that moved instantaneously, accompanied by electromagnetic disturbances, drained batteries, and a team member briefly becoming unresponsive. In a televised NewsNation interview with Ross Coulthart, he reiterated this account, saying the sightings transformed him from skeptic to believer and deepened his commitment to serious, science‑based research—efforts still central to his ongoing work at the ranch.
Fugal collaborates with Native American elders, employs a full‑time anthropologist to safeguard the property’s cultural heritage, and shares findings with U.S. government committees. He maintains that his focus is on scientific discovery rather than tourism or profit. The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch, which began airing in 2020, documents the team’s ongoing research and has drawn over two million viewers in Season 5.
Outside of ranch work, Fugal owns a collection of rare books, including a first‑edition 1611 King James Bible, and movie memorabilia such as Keanu Reeves’ suit from John Wick and the exoskeleton from Terminator 2. He also owns a custom Airbus H130 helicopter and a Lamborghini Aventador Miura. He attended Utah Valley University on a leadership scholarship and in 2021 donated $5 million toward the Brandon D. Fugal Gateway Building.
Fugal’s ongoing work at Skinwalker Ranch reflects his dedication to uncovering and understanding the unknown. His combination of business acumen, scientific investment, and openness to extraordinary possibilities continues to position him as a leading figure in the study of unexplained aerial and unidentified phenomena, with the ranch serving as both a research hub and a testament to his enduring curiosity.
