Elon Musk Retakes Ownership of Gene Wilder’s Former LA Home From ‘Willy Wonka’ Star’s Nephew

by

Elon Musk has regained possession of Gene Wilder’s old house in Los Angeles following the fact that Jordan Walker-Pearlman, who played Willy Wonka in the Chocolate Factory, received a loan from Musk to purchase the legendary Bel-Air property in 2020.

Based on information from Realtor.com’s property records, it appears that Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla and SpaceX, has regained ownership of a single-family home located at 10930 Chalon Road in Bel-Air. This acquisition was made through an LLC company, following a foreclosure process initiated last year.

On Wednesday, Walker-Pearlman, a well-known screenwriter in Hollywood, shared with The Hollywood Reporter that he and his wife had resided in the property for six years starting from 2020, before moving out shortly after Gene Wilder’s would-be 92nd birthday.

The terms of the foreclosure sale and transfer of property ownership are contingent upon a non-disclosure agreement that has been agreed upon between Walker-Pearlman and Musk’s representatives. According to a statement made by Wilder’s nephew, the entire process transpired in an organized and friendly manner.

Legendary filmmaker, most recognized for movies like “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,” “Young Frankenstein,” and “Blazing Saddles,” passed away in 2016 at the age of 83. This was several years after he had resided in the Bel-Air house that was constructed in 1951 with his wife, Gilda Radner.

In 2007, Wilder disposed of a Bel-Air property featuring four bedrooms and four bathrooms across approximately 2,756 square feet. The sale price was $2.7 million. Later on in 2013, Musk acquired this house for $6.75 million. However, seven years down the line, he started considering selling off some of his extensive real estate holdings.

In 2020, Elon Musk sold his Los Angeles house on Chalon Road that overlooks the Bel-Air Country Club golf course for $7 million. However, before the sale was finalized, he lent Walker-Pearlman a sum of $6.7 million. With this loan, Walker-Pearlman was able to buy the property and move back into a home that held memories from his childhood (1995 to 2007).

Walker-Pearlman shared that he successfully transformed the house to resemble much of how it was during Gene’s prime years, incorporating modern updates and omitting shag carpeting. He hosted the salons Gilda envisioned but didn’t get to experience herself. Moreover, he welcomed Gene’s friends and family back who had felt the sudden loss of our family in 2007. Most significant was his ability to film ‘The Requiem Boogie’, a tribute to Gene, Gilda, our time there, and the strong feelings of mourning, in this Bel-Air home.

Simultaneously, it seems that the financial repercussions of the 2023 Hollywood strikes apparently caused Walker-Pearlman to fall behind on his loan repayments, resulting in default. Consequently, Musk’s representatives initiated a formal and systematic foreclosure process on the Bel-Air property last year.

Back in August 2024, I shared some thoughts with THR, and let it be known that there’s no hard feelings on my end regarding Musk. After all, the generous gesture of letting me stay in his late uncle’s place was more than I could ask for as a fellow gamer trying to make his mark in the gaming world.

I had the chance to shoot my autobiographical film, ‘The Requiem Boogie’, in the very house where numerous childhood memories depicted in it transpired. It’s been a remarkable and enchanting four years. In unison with Mr. Musk and his team, we are now making the decisions we announced, as part of the legal proceedings triggered by the default on the Bel-Air property loan,” he explained in his statement about the ongoing legal issues stemming from the Bel-Air property loan.

On a Wednesday, Walker-Pearlman made the following statement: “Elon has essentially provided me with the experience of time travel, or at least the closest approximation to it that someone in our world can encounter.” In August 2024, they relisted their 2,750-square-foot property, which boasts a view overlooking the Bel-Air Country Club, for $12.95 million.

However, when no potential buyer seemed to materialize, the asking price for the Bel-Air property was lowered to $9.5 million in November 2024. Any sale required that the historic home must be preserved as part of a legally binding agreement between Walker-Pearlman and Musk.

On January 23, 2025, the Bel-Air property went up for sale at a foreclosure auction and was purchased for $7.58 million by an LLC firm owned by Elon Musk. The property was removed from the market officially one month later.

Read More

2025-06-25 21:55