Musk Starts to Foreclose on Gene Wilder's House

Billionaire who lent $6.7M to buyer is now moving to foreclose on the property
By Arden Dier,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 21, 2024 7:28 AM CDT
Musk's Sale of Gene Wilder House Becomes a 'Nightmare'
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk speaks at the SATELLITE Conference and Exhibition in Washington, March 9, 2020.   (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)

When Elon Musk announced he was selling his homes in 2020, he had one stipulation for the longtime residence of the late actor Gene Wilder: "It cannot be torn down or lose any [of] its soul." The 2,800-square-foot home overlooking the Bel-Air Country Club, purchased by Wilder for $300,000 in 1976 and by Musk for $6.75 million in 2013, now risks foreclosure. Filmmaker Jordan Walker-Pearlman, a nephew of Wilder who spent time in the home as a child, couldn't afford Musk's $9.5 million asking price in 2020, but secured a deal in which Musk would sell the home to himself and his wife, screenwriter Elizabeth Hunter, for $7 million—while providing a $6.7 million loan, reports the Wall Street Journal. But "that fairy-tale scenario has now turned into something of a nightmare," per Realtor.com.

Musk has now moved to foreclose on the property. Walker-Pearlman and Hunter have fallen behind on repayment of the loan, due in part to the recent writers' and actors' strikes, and received a notice of default, the first formal step in the foreclosure process, in July. The notice said the lender could force a sale within 90 days. Walker-Pearlman claims the billionaire CEO of Tesla and X isn't being "adversarial or mean." Rather, "Elon gave us a magical opportunity," he tells the Journal. "I have no complaints." The couple are now trying to sell the home—with four bedrooms, wood-beamed ceilings, an open layout, pool, and extensive views—listed Tuesday for $12.95 million. The listing agent tells Mansion Global, "The seller would love [the house] to stay true to its roots." (More Elon Musk stories.)

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