The grandson of the late Gene Wilder, director Jordan Walker-Pearlman, has found himself in a financial bind over a piece of Hollywood history — his famous uncle’s former home in Los Angeles.
In 2020, tech titan Elon Musk was the owner of the mansion, located in Bel Air. Musk agreed to sell the home to Walker-Pearlman and his wife, Elizabeth Hunter, for $7 million and even put up a loan to help seal the deal.
But now, just four years later, it seems to be slipping through their fingers, The Wall Street Journal reported.
“He could have sold it for a lot more,” Walker-Pearlman told the Journal in 2022, clearly still grateful for Musk’s generosity. “His affection for me cannot be overstated.”
Fast forward to this summer, and the story has taken a darker turn. An entity linked to Musk has issued a notice of default on the property — a legal move that marks the beginning of a foreclosure.
According to the documents, the couple is nearly $7 million behind on their payments; in 90 days, the house could be foreclosed.
Despite the looming threat, Walker-Pearlman is surprisingly calm about the whole situation.
“There is no tragedy here,” he told the newspaper. “Elon gave us a magical opportunity. I have no complaints.” He emphasized that Musk is not out to get them, saying the billionaire is not “adversarial or evil.”
The property, perched above a country club and with an old Hollywood vibe complete with a kidney-shaped pool, is now on the market for nearly $13 million.
But whether it sells in time to prevent foreclosure remains to be seen. Walker-Pearlman and Hunter are trying to work things out with Musk, who has yet to comment on the matter.
Drew Meyers of Westside Estate Agency maintains the current sales listing.
The director partly blames the writers’ and actors’ strikes for his financial woes, which hit the entertainment industry hard last year. He says Hunter, who holds title to the house, felt uneasy about continuing to owe Musk.
“She didn’t want to continue to be morally beholden to Elon anymore,” Walker-Pearlman told the media. “We already owe him such a spiritual debt.”
Home is more than just bricks and mortar for Walker-Pearlman. It’s a place filled with memories of a young boy growing up in the shadows of Hollywood greats like Mel Brooks and Sidney Poitier. It’s where Wilder read scripts, played the piano and organized Sunday get-togethers with his famous friends – which Walker-Pearlman experienced.
“That was my homeschooling,” Walker-Pearlman once said.
Wilder bought the house in 1976 for just $300,000 after the success of “Young Frankenstein” and lived there until 2007, when he sold it for $2.72 million.
Consisting of four bedrooms and four bathrooms, the home, built in 1951, occupies nearly 3,000 square feet.
After Wilder’s death in 2016, the house passed to Musk, who bought it for $6.75 million in 2013, when it was conveniently located across the street from his main desk.
When Musk decided to offload the house in 2020, Walker-Pearlman and Hunter had the option to keep it in the family, even though they couldn’t budge the $9.5 million asking price.
Musk, known for his spontaneous decisions, agreed to a lower price and offered a loan to help them.
But now, as the couple faces the possibility of losing their home, Walker-Pearlman is ready to leave.
“This will likely be the closing of a very unicorn and beautiful chapter of our lives,” he said, adding, “I’m not unhappy at all.”
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Image Source : nypost.com