Inside Elon Musk’s Secretive Mansions: Where Does the World’s Richest Man Call Home?

The billionaire sold his seven mansions and now lives in a tiny home in Texas

The question begs to be asked: Where does Elon Musk live? One might think the billionaire, often the richest person in the world (depending on Tesla’s stock valuation on any given day), would have the real estate portfolio to end all real estate portfolios. At the time of publication, SpaceX and Tesla CEO has a net worth of $208.4 billion, according to Forbes, thanks to his advancement of electric cars and space exploration. But despite it all, Musk now resides in a tiny house with very few bells and whistles. Read on as we share the scoop on where Musk calls home, and why.

Selling his seven former mansions

Taking to Twitter (now known as X) in 2020, Musk vowed, “I am selling almost all physical possessions. Will own no house” and promptly went on to list his seven California properties. When one of his followers asked why, he had a one word answer: freedom. Combined, the asking prices for the seven homes was over $100 million.

Six of Elon Musk’s houses were in the Los Angeles region. The first was a 16,251-square-foot home with six bedrooms and 11 bathrooms. The palatial estate was built in 1990 in an architectural style reminiscent of a French château, and featured a two-story library, wine cellar, tennis court, pool, and home theater. The home sold for a staggering $29 million, according to Zillow.

Property number two was a low-slung white-shingled house that was once the home of actor Gene Wilder. The 2,800-square-foot home had five bedrooms, four bathrooms, and decades of rich Hollywood history. Jordan Walker-Pearlman, the nephew of Wilder, had once thought the home had been demolished, until a drive through the neighborhood with his wife showed him otherwise. About a year later, a friend sent Walker-Pearlman a screenshot of Musk’s tweet stating he would sell his home. Musk sold the historic house back to the late actor’s family for $7 million with one stipulation—that the property be preserved. Per Musk’s tweet, “it cannot be torn down or lose any of its soul.”

The final four Los Angeles properties were all a stone’s throw away from each other in Bel-Air, with three being on the same road. According to The Wall Street Journal, the first was a six-bedroom, 7,000-square-foot house that was originally built in 1954; the second was a modest ranch house on an adjacent street; the third was a large, unfinished contemporary home three doors down; and the fourth was a white brick Colonial next to that. While the parcels were four separate homes, they were listed together on Zillow with a price of $62.5 million and sold to developer Ardie Tavangarian, owner of Arya Group. The group made a statement saying they plan to redevelop the properties into “a new single development project to make it truly one of a kind,” according to Mansion Global.

The final property Musk sold was a 16,000-square-foot mansion in Hillsborough, California—an affluent area in Silicon Valley. The Mediterranean-style residence, also known as Guignécourt, sat on more than 47 acres of land and boasts seven bedrooms, nine and a half bathrooms, a professional-grade kitchen, a library with leather walls, its own reservoir, and far-reaching views of the San Francisco Bay Area and skyline, according to Maison Global. Not to mention a ballroom with 20-foot ceilings featuring crown moldings, complete with gold leaf detail. The home sold for $40.8 million in 2021.

Where does Elon Musk live now?

A spacecraft at the SpaceX facility in Boca Chica, Texas

 Photo: Houston Chronicle/Hearst Newspapers via Getty Images
The billionaire’s primary residence is a compact $50,000 tiny home in Boca Chica, Texas, where his SpaceX headquarters are located. A recent report by fan blog Teslarati and the New York Post reveals that the home is actually a foldable, 20-foot-by-20-foot prefabricated home made by Boxabl, a housing startup company. The Boxabl Casita home Musk reportedly lives in is set up like a studio apartment, with one large room partitioned into a living room and bedroom area, a fully equipped kitchen, and a bathroom with a tub shower, according to Chron.com. Though this has yet to be officially confirmed, the company hinted in a promotional video that one of the Casitas was installed “for a top-secret customer.”

Musk’s biographer Walter Isaacson, shared a post on social media giving a rare inside look at the home. The house appears minimal, uncluttered, and simple, especially in comparison to Musk’s former properties. The caption read “in 2020, Musk decided to sell his five grand houses and to have as his primary residence be this spartan two-bedroom house in Boca Chica, TX, where we would meet and he would sit at this wood table and make phone calls.” With plans to spend more time in space than Earth, it comes as no surprise that Musk downsized and shed most personal possessions.

Elon Musk and Grimes at the Met Gala in 2018

 Photo: Stephen Lovekin/Variety/Penske Media via Getty Images

FAQs

Where is Elon Musk from?

Musk is from Pretoria, South Africa. He moved to the United States in 1992 and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a dual degree in economics and physics.

Is Elon Musk a US citizen?

Musk became a US citizen in 2002.

What kind of car does Elon Musk drive?

In 2019, Musk took to X and said, “I mostly drive Model S Performance with dev version of FSD computer. Our new Raven powertain & adaptive damping suspension is great! Next is Model 3P & then X if driving with my kids. Acceleration is fun on tap!”

Where does Elon Musk live?

Boca Chica, Texas.

Why Does Elon Musk live in such a small house?

When one of his followers asked why he chose to tell his seven large-scale homes, he had a word word answer—freedom.

Does Elon Musk have children?

Elon Musk has 12 children. His first child with his ex-wife, Justine Wilson, died of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) in 2002. Musk and Wilson went on to welcome five more children, including one set of twins and one set of triplets. Musk shares three more kids with the musician Grimes, and three more with tech executive Shivon Zilis, including one set of twins and one baby born earlier this year.