In 2014, through the Institute, Berggruen launched Noema Magazine, formerly the WorldPost, a digital and print publication dedicated to exploring global issues.

"[7] Berggruen had a rebellious nature, frequently challenging teachers on intellectual matters and eventually, he was expelled from the school for sedition.

[23] Through Freedom Acquisitions – his first investment vehicle that went public in 2006[27] – Berggruen bought a stake in the hedge fund group GLG Partners in 2007.

[31][30] In 2011, alongside business partner Martin Franklin and investor William Ackman, Berggruen launched his third investment vehicle, Justice Holding, a company that raised £900m in its initial public offering.

[33] In Tel Aviv, Berggruen worked with architect Richard Meier to design a luxury-apartment complex on Rothschild Boulevard.

[39] By 2011, Berggruen Holdings had offices in Berlin, Istanbul, Mumbai, New York, and Tel Aviv, nine senior executives, owned more than 30 companies across various industries and asset classes, and was valued at more than 1.5 billion euros.

[43][44] Berggruen launched the Institute after a series of organized discussions in California aimed at addressing the state's expanding debt.

[45][46] The initiative garnered the support of prominent political players, including former secretary of state Condoleezza Rice, billionaire entrepreneur Eli Broad, former California governor Gray Davis, and Eric Schmidt, the former CEO of Google.

Members of the Institute's 21st Century Council include several former heads of state and government, Tony Blair, Gerhard Schröder, Helle Thorning Schmidt, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, and Nicolas Sarkozy, amongst others.

[49] In collaborations with Peking, Stanford, New York, and Oxford Universities, amongst others, the Center brings together leading thinkers from around the world to ponder how culture and philosophy inform political thinking.

[50] The Center offers a fellowship program between Chinese and American universities and an annual $1 million philosophy prize awarded by an international jury.

[49] In 2017, Berggruen purchased a 450-acre stretch of land in the Santa Monica Mountains overlooking Los Angeles to create a 137,000 sq ft (12,700 m2) Scholars’ Campus.

The campus, named Monteverdi, will build on approximately 22 of the 450-acre estate and delegate the remaining 95% as protected open space.

[51] Berggruen's beliefs on renewing democracy include a stable US–China relationship, participation without populism, addressing climate change, and instituting "universal basic capital" to ensure adequate living conditions for everyone regardless of employment status.

"[18] In 2012, Berggruen and Nathan Gardels published the book Intelligent Governance for the 21st Century: A Middle Way Between West and East.

[55] In 2019, Berggruen and Gardels published their second book, Renovating Democracy: Governing in the Age of Globalization and Digital Capitalism.

[19] An avid collector in the early 1980s and 1990s, while living in NYC, Berggruen began collecting Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat.

[16] In 2006 he purchased the Chris Burden kinetic sculpture Metropolis II and lent it on a long-term loan basis to LACMA.

[65] In 2021, Berggruen signed a preliminary agreement to purchase the Casa dei Tre Oci on the Giudecca island in Venice, with plans to use the space to host symposia, workshops and exhibitions in partnership with major museums.

[66] In 2022, he also bought the Palazzo Diedo in the Cannaregio district, which is to focus primarily on dedicated artist commissions; the first artist-in-residence is Sterling Ruby.

[72] Berggruen was honored by his alma mater, NYU Stern, at the 2016 Haskins Giving Society Award Dinner for his commitment to business and public service.

[76] In 2021, he acquired the Gordon Kaufmann-designed, 29,000 sq ft (2,700 m2) Hearst estate in Beverly Hills for $63.1 million, at the time the most ever paid for a home at an auction.