Court documents from Elon Musk’s custody dispute with his former girlfriend Grimes have revealed that the billionaire Tesla founder owns a home in Austin, contradicting his previous claims of being essentially homeless. Musk had publicly pledged in 2020 to “own no house” and had been offloading his various properties. However, a review of court records shows that he purchased a home in Austin in February 2022 and still resides there.
The redacted court filings from December state that Musk bought the home in February 2022 and that he and Grimes lived there with their children from April to August 2023. Musk explained that he purchased the home after the address of a house he had been renting became public knowledge and was no longer private and secure for his family.
While Musk has not publicly acknowledged his ownership of the Austin property, records show that an LLC purchased a house at an Austin location described as Musk’s “self-reported residential address” in February 2022. The LLC, overseen by a wealth-management company, was created shortly before the house was purchased.
The Austin home, which was first bought by a couple in 2018, was later resold in 2022. It is not as luxurious as Musk’s former properties, with an appraisal value of nearly $7 million in 2023. The nearly 7,000-square-foot house was built in 2017.
Musk had previously claimed to be couch surfing and not owning a place as recently as April 2022. Reports from neighbors suggest that Musk might be living in the Austin home, citing around-the-clock security and frequent sightings of Teslas around the property.
Elon Musk’s decision to sell his possessions and abandon homeownership in 2020 was motivated by his focus on his long-term goal for SpaceX, which is colonizing Mars. He sold his last remaining home, a $30 million mansion in San Francisco, in 2021.
It is common for high-profile individuals to use LLCs to maintain privacy and disguise their ownership of properties. Musk’s ownership of the Austin home was revealed through court documents related to his custody dispute.
Musk and the manager of the LLC did not respond to requests for comment regarding his ownership of the Austin property.