The upscale Los Angeles home of a prominent real estate mogul—who faced backlash for offering to “pay any amount” for private fire protection—has been completely destroyed in the Palisades Fire, according to online records.
The official recovery website for Los Angeles County lists Keith Wasserman’s property as “destroyed,” accompanied by a photo showing the once-elegant home reduced to a heap of charred debris. Keith Wasserman, co-founder of the real estate investment firm Gelt Venture Partners, stirred controversy with his post on X, where he sought private firefighter protection during the historic LA fires—while the homes of average residents of the area were being destroyed by the wildfires.
Money Couldn’t Help Save Mansion
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“Does anyone have access to private firefighters to protect our home in Pacific Palisades? Need to act fast here. All neighbors houses burning. Will pay any amount. Thank you,” he posted to his now-deleted X account.
The viral SOS quickly drew backlash, with commenters labeling it as selfish and “insensitive.”
Despite the criticism, Wasserman stood his ground, dismissing his detractors as “trolls” and noting that he had already evacuated.
According to the LA Recovery website, every home on Wasserman’s street in the upscale Pacific Palisades area has been completely destroyed by the fire.
According to public records, Wasserman’s two-story home was valued at around $3 million in 2023, significantly below the median home price of $5 million in Pacific Palisades during the same period, as reported by Forbes.
By the time of the fire, the median home value in Pacific Palisades had dropped to just over $3 million.
The LA County Recovers map also highlights a few properties that were miraculously spared in the Palisades Fire, which has burned more than 23,000 acres and claimed the lives of at least eight people since Tuesday.
Firefighters Face Multiple Challenges
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Meanwhile, firefighters are continuing to combat four active wildfires in Los Angeles but are preparing for further devastation as meteorologists forecast dangerously strong winds reaching up to 70 mph.
Over 100,000 residents have been forced out of their homes, with dozens still unaccounted for. Authorities have charged ten people for crimes linked to the wildfires.
Nine people are facing felony charges related to home burglaries in Pacific Palisades and Altadena, while another person has been charged with arson for deliberately igniting a fire in Azusa.
Amid these dangers in wildfire-affected regions, some A-list celebrities have opted to hire private security teams to safeguard their properties.
