Initially, residents of a luxury cul-de-dead cul-de-de-sac in Westlake Hills, Texas, didn't know who moved into the 6,900-square-foot, six-bedroom mansion next door.
Construction workers then arrived and built a 16-foot chain link fence around the $6 million facility. This is one of four houses on a lush green street. We also installed an outward-facing camera. Next, a fleet of cars, many of which are Teslas, began parking on the streets. Three times a day, shift changes showed security guards coming and going to the house. Once, the passing car driver cried out late at night that he was searching for a party at “E's House.”
No one liked the keypad activating gates that open and close for the fuss, traffic, or all the time for workers and cars. So even when they learned through word of mouth that their new neighbor was Elon Musk, the richest man in the world, some of them didn't stop complaining about his mansion with the city of Westlake Hills.
The complaints then escalated to a turmoil as a city ordinance, permits and exceptions. So Musk's house issue landed at a controversial zoning and planning committee meeting last month. The discussion is headed next to the Westlake Hills City Council session scheduled for May 14th.
“We must stop transporting service employees to other homes, placing cars in quiet streets and washing them in other homes,” neighbor and main complainant Paul Hemmer wrote to the Zoning and Planning Commission. The letter was also signed by residents of two other homes on the street.
Over the past few months, Musk, 53, has roamed his path across Washington, hacking down his long-established traditions and despised what he deemed unnecessary federal bureaucracy. But in his own backyard outside of Austin, the tech billionaire is troubled by local regulations and a maze of red tape. No one seems rich enough to escape his neighbor.
Moguls, including Mark Zuckerberg, can reach the limits of wealth and connection due to differences of opinion over a gorgeous home. So has Musk, who has so far lost to the local government bureaucracy in Westlake Hills. He and his employees did not obtain permission for the metal gates and fences built around the facility, and made the chain link structure 10 feet higher than was permitted, local records show. In total, construction violated six city ordinances. Musk's team tried to obtain retroactive permission for the project after some neighbors protested.
However, Jim Pledgeger, one of six commissioners on the Westlake Hills Zoning and Planning Commission, said he and his colleagues voted unanimously last month to encourage homeowners to be careful not to name Musk. If an exception is made, Pledger said, “We'd encourage people to break the rules.”
Unless the city council opposes that decision, Musk is facing the prospect of destroying fences and gates and modifying them to comply with town regulations.
Musk did not reply to requests for comment. House managers linked to the property declined to comment.
Musk's history in Texas is relatively recent. High-tech Go, which oversees six companies, has moved most of its business operations from California to the state since around 2021. He built factories for electric car company Tesla, rocket company SpaceX, and tunnel venture company Austin and neighboring Bastrop.
Musk has also moved to Austin. He initially wanted to build a house for himself and his children on hundreds of acres he bought there (he has at least 13). After the plans were finished, he looked at the other properties.
In 2022, Musk purchased a Westlake Hills home through a limited liability company. The house is located in the middle of a residential area at the bottom of a sloping property about two acres from a narrow public road, making security difficult.
“The castle should be built on a hill, right?” said Anne Yekel, a longtime Westlake Hills resident who lives around the corner. “These were sophisticated buyers and if security was the main directive, this was not the home.”
Musk and his staff did not introduce themselves to their neighbors. Few residents saw him there. But the word traveled quickly through a community of 3,400 and soon everyone knew he had moved.
“It's general knowledge here,” Yeakel said.
The mansion is one of three Musk's purchases in the area over the past three years, creating compounds for his children and mothers. At one point, Claire Boucher, known as the musician Grimes, lived in the house with Mr. Musk and his three children. Musk's four-child brain technology executive Shivon Zilis lives in about a 10-minute walk. Musk also bought another Tuscan-style mansion about a year ago.
My neighbor quickly became annoyed by the constant hub of the house. They watched people carry gun holsters as the security team swelled along with Musk's safety concerns. Texas has a tolerant gun law, but its activity was outstanding.
“I call it that place Fort Knox,” said Hemmer, a retired real estate agent who lives across the street and is the president of the Neighborhood Homeowners Association.
The house was quiet on the days when Musk was not in town, and neighbors said he had lived in Washington, particularly in recent months, primarily to advise President Trump. Now, residents are brave for Musk's return after saying they will spend less time in the capital.
Some neighbors were particularly frustrated by the huge fence in front of the mansion and the huge metal gates on the other side of the property that appears to serve as an entrance for employees.
Hemmer, who had long owned Tesla, became very annoyed by his neighbors and began flying drones over the house to check for city violations. Last year he complained to Westlake Hills officials about Musk's fence, traffic and owners thought they were running security businesses from their property.
Musk's security team also contacted the Westlake Hills Police Department about Hemmer, according to city records. Records show that one security officer accused Hemmer of standing naked in the street last year.
Mr Hemmer denied he was naked and said he was on his property wearing black underwear. Another night he said he had been walking and stopped his dog completely dressed when he suddenly needed to urinate – Musk's camera took a picture.
“The camera got me,” Hemmer said. “It's scary to see them sitting and peeing me.”
After repeated protests from Hemmer, Westlake Hills officials found Musk violated the city's ordinance at the fence and gates. Last month, the Zoning and Planning Committee discussed whether to allow for diversification of projects.
Before the meeting, Tisha Litta, a license expert working for Musk's limited liability company, wrote to the Planning Committee a letter seeking relief from the city's regulations.
“As well-known civil servants, property residents face continuing security threats and make active safety measures essential,” she wrote. Ritta did not respond to requests for comment.
Hemmer and other residents wrote their own letters to the Planning Commission, warning their neighbors for promoting “bad behaviour in our quiet little culprit.”
For a while, Musk appeared poised to win the battle in his neighborhood. Planning and Zoning officials recommended that he grant “differences in hard work” to his property. This will allow him to maintain fences and other projects that have only minor changes to his property, according to city documents.
However, at the planning meeting, the commissioner refused to diversify Musk. When they questioned Litta, she accused the former house manager of not obtaining permission to build.
“I just met the property owners last year and unfortunately they were under the guidance of a real estate manager,” she said according to conference records.
Hemmer also said he suspected the homeowner was misplaced when he spoke at the meeting.
“If you follow him on the news, he's always guilty of building things and asking for permission later,” he said.
One commissioner, not identified in the recording, said it was unbelievable that Westlake Hills staff were encouraging homeowners to receive exceptions.
“I am amazed that the staff are putting out all sorts of suggestions that bend based on who is asking,” she said.
Planning Commission decisions do not end the process. At the upcoming Westlake Hills City Council meeting, members will need to decide whether to stick to the committee's recommendations regarding Musk's residence.
Musk could sue the town if the city council voted for him. And if that doesn't work, and if given his track record in supporting a candidate, there will always be the next local election.
Kirsten Noyes contributed to the research.
