A prominent real estate executive‘s Los Angeles residence has been devastated in the Palisades Fire, as confirmed by official records, following his controversial request for private fire protection services.
According to LA County’s recovery portal, Keith Wasserman‘s property is listed as “destroyed”, with documentation showing the once-elegant residence reduced to charred remains, according to the New York Post.
Wasserman, who co-founded Gelt Venture Partners, faced significant criticism after his now-deleted social media plea for private firefighting services during the devastating LA fires, whilst numerous other residents’ homes were being consumed by flames.
His (deleted) message on X stated: “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.”
The post, viewed over 900,000 times before being deleted, was widely criticised as tone-deaf, with many accusing Wasserman of prioritising his wealth over the collective crisis. “Incredible nerve,” wrote one user, Sam Vance. “His family is evacuated, and he’s trying to hire private firefighters to risk their lives to save a home he most certainly has insured. Incredibly tone deaf.” Another critic slammed his sense of entitlement, asking, “So you’re suggesting that potentially life-saving resources should be diverted to save your house because you’re rich while tens of thousands of people try to evacuate?”The post, viewed over 900,000 times before being deleted, was widely criticised as tone-deaf, with many accusing Wasserman of prioritising his wealth over the collective crisis.“Incredible nerve,” wrote one user, Sam Vance.
In response to the backlash, Wasserman initially defended his position, dismissing critics as “trolls!” and noted he had already left the premises.
The LA Recovery website indicates that every residence on Wasserman’s street in the upscale Pacific Palisades area has been destroyed.
Property records indicate Wasserman’s two-storey residence was valued at approximately £3 million in 2023, considerably below the area’s median home value of £5 million, as reported by Forbes. By the time of the fire, the median property value in the area had decreased to roughly £3 million.
The LA County Recovers mapping system shows that some properties remarkably survived the Palisades Fire, which has consumed over 23,000 acres and claimed eight lives since Tuesday.
