Marc Piasecki/Getty Images; Realtor.com
Hollywood legend Gene Wilder‘s former home has been taken off the market, just six months after its previous owner, billionaire Elon Musk, moved to foreclose on its current owners.
The Los Angeles property was originally listed for sale back in August 2024, with an asking price of $12.95 million.
Around the same time, it was revealed that the owners, Wilder’s nephew, Jordan Walker-Pearlman and his wife, Elizabeth Hunter, had defaulted on a $6.7 million loan they received from Musk in order to buy the home—prompting the Tesla founder to begin the foreclosure process, which would allow him to force a sale of the home within a 90-day period.
Musk, 53, was hailed for his generosity in 2020 after it was revealed that he had not only agreed to sell the home to Wilder’s relative, filmmaker 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 seemingly sweet scenario quickly turned sour four years later, when Walker-Pearlman and Hunter fell behind on their loan payments, leading to Musk filing a notice of default.
The couple made a desperate bid to find a buyer for the home before it could be put up on the auction block, reducing their asking price to $9.5 million in November 2024.
However, it appears that Walker-Pearlman and his wife failed to secure a buyer in time—and the property is now scheduled to go up for auction, according to records.
Interestingly, the couple does appear to have taken steps to protect the legacy of Wilder’s home, which Walker-Pearlman spent a great deal of time in as a child, filing paperwork with Los Angeles County to prevent the “destruction or alternation” of the home that might damage its “historical significance.”
This restrictive covenant was put in place on Feb. 4, 2025, less than three weeks before the home was delisted.
The document states that the main residence on the property “may not be demolished or razed in whole or in part.” While the interiors can be updated, no work can be done that will affect the exterior of the property.
Per the official declaration, the “restrictions set forth” in the covenant are “irrevocable” and must be adhered to by any future owners of the property.
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 Wall Street Journal. “His sensitivity to me can’t be overstated.”
Even after Musk moved to foreclose on the home, Walker-Pearlman insisted that he had no ill will toward the billionaire, telling the WSJ that “there’s no tragedy here,” while adding that the 2023 Hollywood strikes had been to blame for the missed loan repayments.
“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.”
Musk first purchase the Wilder house for $6.75 million via an LLC back in 2013, and he owned the home for seven years before announcing in 2020 that he planned to sell “almost all of his physical possessions,” including that property.
Still, he made clear that he had a soft spot for the home, writing in a post shared on X that, while he planned to “own no house,” his one stipulation in the mass fire sale of his belongings was that, “Gene Wilder’s old house … cannot be [torn] down or lose any [of] its soul.”
The property, which was built in 1951, boasts an incredible wealth of Hollywood history, having been designed by renowned architect Robert Byrd.
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.
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 iconic neighborhood.
“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 most recent listing stated.
Charlie Lankston is the executive editor at Realtor.com. She previously worked at DailyMail.com as the associate editor, covering a wide range of topics, including news, celebrities, travel, lifestyle, and the British royals. In 2019, she was part of the DailyMailTV team that won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Entertainment News Program. Charlie earned a BA in English Literature and Theatre Studies from the University of Warwick and an MA in Newspaper Journalism from City University in London. Originally from London, she has been based in New York City for 10 years.
