Elon Musk, known for being one of the world’s wealthiest people and being the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, said that he doesn’t want to own any house from now on in 2020. He, who we often associate with innovation and technological developments, sold his seven houses and now lives in a humble tiny house in Texas. When asked why he was selling his properties, he cited “freedom” as the reason, also pointing to high property taxes and the challenges they create for others.
Previously, he lived in a modest $50,000 home. His relationship with real estate, however, is significant. His portfolio includes several luxury properties, contributing to a total value of $174 million (US$127.9m). Following the sale of these homes, research indicates that Elon Musk’s net worth is now approximately $300.5 billion.
Bel-Air Mansion
Location: Bel-Air, Los Angeles
Elon Musk‘s real estate journey began with the purchase of a $17 million home in Bel Air. Having rented the 20,248-square-foot property for two years, he decided to make it permanent. The expansive home features a backyard pool, a large tennis court, a home theater, and stunning city views.
The Bel Air mansion has a modern design with an open layout and large windows, making the interior bright and airy.
After announcing that he would sell all the properties, this mansion was listed for $30 billion and sold to Chinese billionaire William Ding for $29.72 million.
Gene Wilder House
Location: Bel-Air, Los Angeles
Another house that Elon Musk bought in 2013 was a short distance from his former house, the Bel Air Mansion; it has been added to Musk’s real estate portfolio for $6,75 million. In this portfolio, the house is mentioned as ‘Gene Wilder House,’ which covers an area estimated at 2,750 square-foot, as mentioned the house has been owned by Gene Wilder for 30 years and has formed a moral value for Elon Musk in the selling process, he also demonstrated in his words, ‘I own Gene Wilder’s old house, it can not be torn down or lose any of its soul’
The house was officially bought from legendary L.A. architect Robert Byrd, leaving his signature architectural style throughout. It features an open floor plan in the common areas, a gourmet kitchen, and four bedrooms with five bathrooms for private spaces. Timber beams, a hallmark of Byrd’s design, are found in nearly every room, complementing his iconic white and brown color scheme. The outdoor space, which includes a curved pool, bar, and guest house, enhances the property’s luxurious appeal. Byrd also integrated open-air corners to seamlessly connect the interior with the exterior. Additionally, the home offers panoramic city views, much like his previous Bel-Air property.
While maintaining this vision, the architecture has been preserved. Even if Elon Musk didn’t utilize this house as his residence the house functioned for his employees’s children that are working in SpaceX and Tesla as a school named AdAstra. He said that the Gene Wilder House is like a little school in a meadow on a golf course in Bel-Air.
In the process of selling all of his houses, he requested that Gene Wilder’s house’s spirit be maintained, and that is the only condition that he had to sell it. After listing it for $9,5 million, he had to make a reduction in price because Elon Musk wanted to sell the house to Walker and Hunter Pearlman to keep his understanding and even lend money for this couple to have it and finally sell it. After some miscommunications and late payments, it was learned that a legal process had begun between them. For all that, the house is now listed for $12,95 million dollars.
Brentwood House
Location: Brentwood, Los Angeles
The Brentwood house, which is approximately 3000 square feet, is located in California, 15 miles northwest of Los Angeles. This house was purchased by Elon Musk and his ex-wife Talulah Riley in 2014, and its worth is $3.695 million, according to the data.
This house has a slightly different design compared to other houses and resembles an angular spacecraft, so it can be considered a choice that reflects Elon Musk’s personal characteristics.
Brentwood house, which is quite modern in style, is can be defined as having Mid-century Modern architecture aspects, the interior of the Brentwood house is planned in a way that can receive a lot of sunlight; this aspect is reinforced by the boomerang-shaped design of the house. This design style also enabled the effective use of the entire 0.28-acre area where the house is located.
The living functions are designed with an open plan, these rooms surrounded by high windows that open to the pool with sliding glass doors. The walls of this four-bedroom, three-bathroom house are framed by curved walls and direct the flow to the outside, bringing the interior and exterior together in a more intertwined way, these sliding glass doors are also found in the private rooms for backyard access with this addition the outdoor relationship is also continued in the personal areas of the house. The painted wall bricks decorating the interior walls give the feeling of outdoor space and also support this design decision.
Although the exterior and interior worlds are quite combined, the importance of privacy and security is really seen in this house, these requirements are provided by placing long stealth fences around the garden. Considering the security plan, most parts of the house are planned to be electrically controlled; curtains, lights, security system sound systems, etc.
According to reports by Business Insider, along with the sales process, Elon Musk sold his Brentwood house for $4 billion dollars in late 2019.
Hillsburg House
Location: Hillsburg, San Francisco
Elon Musk purchased this historic 47-acre house in 2017 after the grandson of the French nobleman who built the house, Christian de Guigne IV. The Hillsborough House is located in the San Francisco Bay Area, as the name suggests, it is located in San Francisco and counted as one of the prime Silicon Valley real estate, the house is a $32.36 million addition to Elon Musk’s real estate portfolio. The property has a historic past, it has been built in 1912 by the French nobleman Count Christian de Guigné.
The mansion is built on a large area, and the rooms inside are classified to reflect its history; it consists of seven bedrooms, nine and a half bathrooms, and several large living areas, and many rooms for the staff are also added to the plan: staff bedrooms, kitchen, breakfast room, etc. On the first floor of the mansion there is a ballroom designed for large entertainments, and other classified rooms are located on the property.
In the basement of the Hillsborough mansion, there is also a very large garage, a wine cellar, and a professional flower arrangement room; in addition to these, the backyard of the house opens to a fancy pool. Although the mansion is quite old, it has been modernized for its time, but some important and original features have been carefully restored. In addition to this old-fashioned appearance, a fiber optic cable system, a high-end security system and an internal sound system have been integrated into the mansion in the restoration process.
Elon Musk sold the Hillsborough mansion to entrepreneur Krill Evstratov for $45 million in 2020 as the last piece of his real estate portfolio.
Four Bel-Air mansions, LA
Location: Los Angeles, Bel-Air
The last four homes sold by Elon Musk are grouped together because they were listed and sold at the same time. The first of these Bel-Air properties is a 9,309-square-foot mansion that Musk purchased in 2016 for approximately $24 million. Built just a year before his purchase, the house features a modern design and includes six bedrooms and seven bathrooms, set on 1.5 acres of hillside land. The property also boasts a custom-designed swimming pool in the backyard, surrounded by social spaces. The mansion ultimately sold for $29.72 million, making it a profitable investment for Musk.
Another Bel-Air home is across the street from the other, this one bought by Elon Musk for around $6.4 million in 2019. It was built in the 1960s, with a four bedroom, five bathroom plan, Bel-Air House which is 3,943-ft in size is designed in a colonial style, has a bright white exterior, and is structured on a two-story plan. It is sold with the other four for $6.77 million.
The third Bel Air House is on a cul de sac was purchased in 2015 for $4.3 million. This single-story house, which we can classify as the smallest compared to other Bel-Air houses, has four bedrooms, four bathrooms and covers approximately 2,963 ft. This small house was sold by Musk for $4.43 million and contributed to the collective deal.
The fourth house, which covers an area of 7,000 ft, which is very close to the other three houses, is not on a cul de sac like the others, but is located on a street below the others. Elon Musk added this house to his properties in 2015 for $20 million and sold for $21 million.
Elon Musk, spent $74.7 million in the process of selling deal of these houses, completed the sales quite profitably by selling them for a total of $84.1 million during the sale.
Billionaire Elon Musk, who sold all his properties, is currently living in a modest tiny house worth for $50,000 in Boca Chica, Texas, where the SpaceX headquarters are located. The house is designed by a housing startup, it stands out for it’s functionalism, simplicity and minimalism. This tiny house covers an area of 375 square feet and measures 20 feet x 20 feet.
Tiny House: The Boxabl Casita
This tiny house, designed with floor-to-ceiling glass doors, which is planned to receive a lot of light in terms of similarity to its other houses, is also manufactured to be durable and designed to meet maximum functionality for Elon Musk. The house is built to be highly customizable, and effective areas are created. The areas are classified by separating them with storage equipment or furniture.
Elon Musk said he chose this option to focus on sustainable housing. Research shows these homes use fewer resources and create less waste. They can also include eco-friendly features like solar panels and composting toilets. Plus, the house is mobile, which supports Musk’s desire for freedom.
