Elon Musk is foreclosing on an LA home. The owners, who Musk lent money to, say they 'owe him such a spiritual debt.'
BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images; Pictometry/Los Angeles County Assessor
- One of Elon Musk's entities has started foreclosing on a Bel-Air home sold to a filmmaker and screenwriter.
- The couple purchased the house for $7 million in 2020 and financed it using loans from Musk.
- The property was originally owned by actor Gene Wilder, the filmmaker's late uncle.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk is starting to foreclose on a Bel-Air home purchased by filmmaker Jordan Walker-Pearlman and his wife, screenwriter Elizabeth Hunter.
The house once belonged to Walker-Pearlman's uncle, the late actor Gene Wilder. One of Musk's trusts bought the property in 2013 for $6.75 million, then Musk sold it to the couple in 2020 for $7 million, The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday.
Musk had initially listed the property for $9.5 million — which the couple could not afford.
Walker-Pearlman and Hunter financed their 2020 deal with a $6.7 million loan provided by Musk. The billionaire reached an agreement with Walker-Pearlman, who spent his childhood there, to ensure the house would be preserved, the WSJ reported in 2022.
The couple has since fallen behind on payments, after they were significantly impacted by last year's writers' and actors' strike, per the WSJ.
In late July, Musk's representatives filed a notice of default, the first formal step in the foreclosure process. Musk could choose to sell the house after 90 days, according to the WSJ.
There was no bad blood between Musk and the couple — they expressed gratitude to the billionaire for making the purchase possible in an interview with the WSJ.
"There's no tragedy here. Elon gave us a magical opportunity. I have no complaints," Walker-Pearlman told the WSJ, adding that they "owe him such a spiritual debt."
The couple listed the house for $12.95 million with Drew Meyers of Westside Estate Agency, the WSJ reported. Meyers did not respond to a request for comment sent outside standard business hours.
Wilder, the star of "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory" and "Young Frankenstein," purchased the 2,800-square-foot home in 1976 for around $300,000. It features a kidney-shaped pool and overlooks the Bel-Air Country Club.
Musk did not respond to a request for comment sent outside standard business hours.