Billionaire Tesla founder Elon Musk has moved to foreclose on actor Gene Wilder‘s former home—after loaning the “Willa Wonka” star’s nephew millions of dollars to help him buy the iconic Los Angeles property.
Musk, 53, was hailed for his generosity after it was revealed that he had not only agreed to sell the home to Wilder’s relative, filmmaker Jordan Walker-Pearlman, for $7 million, but that he had also agreed to loan him $6.7 million in order to make the property purchase possible.
However, that fairy-tale scenario has now turned into something of a nightmare after Walker-Pearlman and his wife, Elizabeth Hunter, fell behind on their loan payments, prompting Musk to file a notice of default.
The notice serves as the first step in foreclosure and allows Musk to force a sale of the property 90 days after it has been filed, according to the Wall Street Journal, which broke the news of the legal tangle.
Walker-Pearlman and Hunter have, at the same time, listed the property for $12, 950,000, with the Realtor.com® listing describing it as “a piece of Hollywood history.”
(Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
(Realtor.com)
(Realtor.com)
(Realtor.com)
“Nestled in the exclusive Bel Air neighborhood, this timeless property, designed by celebrated architect Robert Byrd, offers unparalleled views of the Bel Air Country Club and exudes a distinct character that merges classic design with modern potential,” the listing goes on.
Certainly, the home has had its fair share of celebrity entanglements.
It was the longtime residence of Wilder, who lived there with his third wife, “Saturday Night Live” star Gilda Radner, until her death in 1989.
The Journal reports that a trust linked to Musk bought the home for $6.75 million in 2013.
In 2020, the billionaire made the surprising decision to sell “almost all of his physical possessions,” including Wilder’s former home.
(Screen Archives/Getty Images)
(Realtor.com)
(Realtor.com)
(Realtor.com)
In a series of tweets posted on the website that he now owns and has rebranded as X, Musk shared that he planned to “own no house,” before noting that his one “stipulation” in the mass fire sale was that, “Gene Wilder’s old house … cannot be rown down or lose any [of] its soul.”
In 2022, Walker-Pearlman spoke warmly of Musk’s kindness in agreeing to loan him the money, explaining that he had long dreamed of purchasing the property after spending a great deal of time there as a child.
“He could have sold it for so much more,” he told the Journal. “His sensitivity to me can’t be overstated.”
Despite Musk now taking legal action against Walker-Pearlman and his wife, the filmmaker appears to have no ill will toward the billionaire businessman.
“There’s no tragedy here,” he said, noting that the 2023 Hollywood strikes took a grave toll on their ability to keep up with payments on their loan.
(Realtor.com)
(Realtor.com)
“Elon gave us a magical opportunity. I have no complaints,” he said. “This is likely the closing of a very unicorn and beautiful chapter of our lives. I’m not disgruntled at all.”
Now, another homebuyer will have the chance to take on this “unicorn” property, which boasts 2,756 square feet of living space that is set on a 0.78-acre lot.
As well as four bedrooms, the living space includes a media room, dining room, library, breakfast nook, and sauna.
Outside, there is a quaint garden and a classic kidney bean–shaped pool where guests can enjoy the lavish surroundings of the home’s Bel-Air neighborhood.
