International businessman Brandon Spaulding built his company through deceit and treachery. Believing that the ends justified the means, he taught those values to his children. A cold and controlling man, he pitted his children against one another and did what he felt was best for them. Disappointed that his first child was a girl, Brandon nicknamed her Alex and molded her into a tough businesswoman. Angry when she ran off and became pregnant with poor artist, Eric Luvonaczeck, he located the couple and paid Eric to leave with their child. Brandon also disapproved of young Alan's relationship with a girl named Jane Marie Stafford, and learning that Jane Marie was pregnant, he forbade her to tell Alan and gave the child to one of his employees, Lucille Wexler, to raise. Years later, Brandon's disregard for his children would come back to haunt him when Alan ousted him from the company. In 1979, Lucille found Brandon on his deathbed and told him that people suspected that her daughter, Amanda, was his child, something that Brandon would deny. Soon after Lucille learned that Brandon died and Amanda turned out to be Alan's daughter with Jane Marie.

In 1984, a long buried secret involving Brandon would come to light. That year, Annabelle and Tony Reardon bought a cottage in Barbados and thought it was haunted. Doing some investigating, the couple discovered the bones of a man long dead. With the help of Tony's brother, Jim, and his fiancée, Hillary Bauer, the man was identified as Conrad Tamerlain and a cryptic riddle was found. Later, Hillary was tragically killed by the explosion of a music box left by real estate agent Susan Piper who wanted to guard the secret of the cottage. Afterwards Tony, Annabelle, Jim, Claire Ramsey and Fletcher Reade found the "deceased" Brandon! It was then that Brandon told the whole sordid tale involving his late wife, Penelope, who killed Sharina's brother while trying to kill Sharina, Brandon's lover. After the shooting, Penelope went into labor with Alan and died. Not wanting to create a scandal, Brandon covered up the crime and left Barbados. Brandon then revealed that after faking his death in 1979, he traveled to Barbados to live with Sharina and their daughter, Victoria. After being discovered, Brandon and Sharina died together.

The specter of Brandon Spaulding would return decades later when it was discovered that Brandon lied all along—he was Amanda's father! Though the details of his affair with Jane Marie are unknown, it is suspected that he did it to get her out of Alan's life.