Kanye “Ye” West‘s dreams of living in a ‘Bat Cave’ are finally over, with his abandoned project on the market for $53 million.
The hip-hop icon is no stranger to controversy for his unique opinions, but his Tadao Ando-designed beachside house is on another level. After purchasing the Malibu mansion for a hefty sum in 2021, he attempted to renovate the property into his ideal artistic home.
However, the “Gold Digger” hitmaker’s plans to create a bomb shelter type of house gutted the property and sent his former project manager running to the law. The remodel architect accused him of violating multiple labor codes, including dangerous working conditions, unpaid wages, and wrongful termination.
Kanye West Joins Hands With ‘Selling Sunset’ Star To Sell Wrecked Malibu Mansion
Ye is cutting his losses with his Malibu project and has the right man to regain some of his investments. He joined hands with “Selling Sunset” star Jason Oppenheim, letting the renowned realtor list the damaged building for $53 million.
While the sum is significant, it is $4 million short of the property’s original $57 million price when the rapper purchased it in 2021. Despite the beachfront home being one of Tadao Ando’s fantastic designs, its selling price might be lower because Ye’s renovations gutted the mansion.
To achieve his old-school bomb shelter dreams, he removed all the home’s windows, electricity, and plumbing. Not only did his actions warrant a lawsuit, but it left the property exposed to natural elements, increasing the damages and leaving its future owner with a lot of work.
However, Oppenheim believes these cons are the Malibu home’s best values. While speaking to TMZ, he insisted the gutted property gave its next owner a rare chance to design their dream house. In the real estate mogul’s words:
“The interior finishes have been removed, and this creates an unbelievably rare opportunity to buy a Picasso on the water with the ability to restore it to your own specific standards, with modern technology and excellence.”
While the home is eye-catching at 4,000 square feet with a stunning ocean view, it is unclear if it will gather enough interest given the lawsuit against Ye.
Inside Kanye West’s Former Employee’s Lawsuit
As stated, the property’s former caretaker took legal action against Ye after working on his Malibu house. Tony Saxon claimed he was wrongfully fired for speaking out against his ex-employer’s dangerous renovations.
Saxon noted that Ye’s vision for the Tadao Ando-designed beach house was to make the home like “a bomb shelter from the 1910s.” They planned to achieve this by demolishing the custom marble bathrooms, windows, plumbing, and electricity while the stairs would be replaced with slides.
“We were going to be gutting all of that out and sort of building him a Bat Cave,” Saxon explained in an interview, stating Ye wanted a place to “hide from the Clintons and the Kardashians.”
The project manager initially believed the artist wanted to make an “art project” and not a place to live. But, the truth became apparent as the remodeling progressed, with Saxon forced to live and sleep in “miserable” conditions while his former employer increased his concerning demands.
The father of four reportedly “wanted no electricity. He only wanted plants. He only wanted candles. He only wanted battery lights. And he just wanted to have everything open and dark.” Saxon noted he was fired when he refused to comply with these dangerous requests, fearing for Ye’s safety.
“When Plaintiff refused to engage in unlawful conduct or to engage in activity that would further cause him physical injury, Mr. Ye responded: ‘If you don’t do what I say, you’re not going to work for me, I’m not gonna be your friend anymore, and you’ll just see me on TV,’” the lawsuit claimed.
The allegations did not end there, as Saxon argued the Yeezy founder violated several labor codes and alleged that he promised to pay him $20,000 per week but made only two payments. The plaintiff’s lawyer, Ron Zambrano, echoed similar sentiments in a statement, slamming Ye’s attitude.
“Ye has shown a reckless disregard toward his employees and has flouted the law in unbelievably dangerous ways throughout this entire project at the Malibu house,” Zambrano said about the lawsuit. “He continues his pattern of not paying his bills while treating workers terribly.”
“No employee should have to suffer through the sort of working conditions Mr. Saxon was forced to endure,” the legal practitioner continued. “Yet Ye showed no concern and merely wanted the work done, despite the hazardous and unsafe, not to mention illegal, actions he was trying to force the plaintiff to undertake.”