The Nightmare of Being Elon Musk's Neighbor

On a quiet cul-de-sac in the upscale West Lake Hills neighborhood on the outskirts of Austin, Texas, residents initially had no idea who owned the 6,800-square-foot, six-bedroom mansion. It wasn’t until construction workers showed up, erecting 16-foot-high wire mesh fences around the $6 million property and installing cameras facing outward that they realized something was amiss.

A line of cars began to form on the street, most of them Teslas. Three times a day, residents saw a change of security guards. One night, a driver drove by in the middle of the night, shouting that he was heading to a party at “E’s house.”

No one liked the noise. The gates opened and closed constantly, cars came and went all day and night, and service staff came and went. Then the rumors started to spread. The new neighbor was Elon Musk, the richest man in the world .

The noisiest house in the neighborhood

Instead of feeling honored, some residents complained to the West Lake Hills city government. These frustrations quickly escalated into a heated debate over building codes, permits and exceptions, which officially reached the city’s planning and zoning commission last month. The next West Lake Hills City Council meeting is scheduled for May 14, according to the New York Times .

“Moving service staff to other homes, parking on our quiet street, carrying laundry between homes. It all needs to stop,” wrote Paul Hemmer, a neighbor who spearheaded the complaint, in a letter to the Planning Commission.

According to the New York Times , billionaires like Mark Zuckerberg have tested the limits of money and influence due to housing troubles. Elon Musk is no exception.

Elon Musk built a metal fence and automatic gate without a permit. The construction violated a total of six city ordinances. Photo: New York Times.

According to city records, he and his team did not seek permits when they erected an iron gate and a wire mesh fence that exceeded the city’s building code by 10 feet. In total, the project violated six city building codes. When neighbors objected, Musk’s team tried to get retroactive permits for the items.

Jim Pledger, one of six members of the West Lake Hills Planning Commission, said the commission unanimously rejected a proposal to allow an exception for homeowner projects. “If we allow an exception, it encourages people to violate,” he said.

Unless the city council decides otherwise, Elon Musk will have to remove the fences and gates or change them to comply with local regulations.

The house reserved for Elon Musk's 13 children

Musk has only been in Texas since 2021, when he moved much of his business there from California, building factories for Tesla, SpaceX, and the Boring Company around Austin and nearby Bastrop.

Musk also moved to Austin. He initially wanted to build a home for himself and his children (there are now at least 13) on hundreds of acres he had purchased there. When that plan failed, he turned to existing real estate.

In 2022, Musk purchased the West Lake Hills mansion through a limited liability company, named after the street it sits on. Located in a residential area, the mansion sits at the end of a sloping 8,000-square-foot lot and borders a narrow public road, making it difficult to secure.

The neighborhood is quieter on days when Musk is not around, especially in recent months when he has spent much of his time in Washington advising President Trump. Photo: Matthew Rutledge.

When Musk and his team arrived, they didn’t greet neighbors. Few residents had seen him. But in the community of 3,400, word spread like wildfire.

The mansion is just one of three homes Musk has purchased in the area over the past three years to create a private compound for his children and their mothers. At one point, his ex-wife Grimes lived there with him and their three children. Shivon Zilis, the director of Neuralink and mother of Musk’s four other children, lives just a 10-minute walk away. Musk also bought another mansion in the area about a year ago.

The chaos grew more and more unnerving. People were seen coming and going with holsters, and the security detail swelled as Musk grew more concerned about his safety. Even though Texas is known for its lax gun laws, the scene was shocking.

Don't accept Elon Musk as an exception

The house is quieter on Musk’s days off, especially in recent months, when he has spent much of his time in Washington advising President Trump. Now that Musk has announced he will be spending less time in the capital, residents are bracing for stormy days.

One of the most annoying things for neighbors is the huge iron fence in front of the villa and the huge metal gate at the other end of the property. It seems to be a staff-only entrance.

Frustrations mounted, and the president of the Hemmer neighborhood association flew drones over the house to check for violations and installed cameras to monitor the house around the clock. Last year, he complained to the city about the fence, traffic conditions, and suspicions that Musk was running a security business there.

Elon Musk has 13 children with four different women. The West Lake Hills home is just one of three properties the billionaire has purchased in the area over the past three years to create a “compound” for his children and their mothers. Photo: @WalterIsaacson/X, @shivon/X.

After multiple complaints, West Lake Hills officials confirmed that Musk's fence and gate violated the code. Last month, the zoning board met to consider granting an exception.

Before the meeting, Tisha Ritta, a permitting specialist representing Musk’s real estate holding company, sent a letter asking for a relaxation of the rules. “As prominent public figures, residents face constant security threats, so proactive safety measures are imperative,” she wrote.

Hemmer and other residents also sent separate letters to the commission, criticizing the neighbor for “encouraging bad behavior in an otherwise peaceful cul-de-sac.”

At first, it looked like Musk would win. Planning and zoning officials recommended granting a “hardship exception,” which would allow the fence and other features to remain in place with only minor modifications, according to city records.

But the commission’s decision isn’t final. City council members will vote at the next meeting on whether to uphold the commission’s recommendation. If that fails, Musk could sue the city. And if that fails, given his history of backing candidates, he still has one last option: the next local election.

Source: https://znews.vn/ac-mong-khi-tro-thanh-hang-xom-cua-elon-musk-post1551416.html