Elon Musk spends $6.75 million for former Gene Wilder home

Elon Musk, who heads electric-car company Tesla Motors, has shelled out $6.75 million on the former Gene Wilder estate in Bel-Air, property records show. That’s a lot of clams for a cracked driveway.

[Updated 10:59 a.m. PST Nov. 5: The sellers are financier Paul Kessler and his wife, attorney and businesswoman Diana Derycz-Kessler, who invest in real estate.]

The three-quarter-acre promontory home, overlooking the 13th green and 14th fairway of the Bel-Air Country Club, was described in the listing as an “opportunity to develop a view property.” The existing ranch-style home of 2,800 square feet has three bedrooms and 4.5 bedrooms. There’s also a kidney-shaped swimming pool and a guest cottage.

The billionaire entrepreneur and inventor earlier paid $17 million for a 20,248-square-foot mansion across the street, according to Trulia.com, which broke the news of the current purchase and speculated that Musk may be trying to preserve his views.

Musk, 42, is also chief executive of rocket maker SpaceX. He cofounded the Internet payment company that would become PayPal.

Wilder, 80, is known for his roles in such Mel Brooks’ films as “Young Frankenstein” and “Blazing Saddles.”

Drew Mandile and Brooke Knapp of Sotheby’s International Realty handled the transaction.

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