Mr. Ye suffered huge losses in a $1 million lawsuit against contractor Tony Saxon over the renovation of his $57 million former Malibu mansion.
Ye suffered damages after a jury in a $1 million lawsuit against contractor Tony Saxon over the $57 million renovation of his former Malibu mansion left him with damages, but it was far less than the plaintiffs had sought.
The verdict was read in downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday morning, and it didn’t end well for Kanye, as he was ordered to pay $140,000, a fraction of what Saxon was hoping to receive.
Saxon claimed he was hired as a case manager but was only paid once and was fired after seven weeks on the job.
In trial testimony, Ye admitted asking Saxon to convert the stairs into a slide as part of his vision to transform the beachfront property into an adult playground. According to court records, Ye’s renovation plans kept changing, causing chaos at the construction site.
Saxon claims he suffered serious back and neck injuries while carrying out demolition and management work and was subsequently fired after safety concerns were raised.
The handyman testified that Kanye once loaded him into a Lamborghini for a late-night trip to Home Depot, but the rapper was distracted by a display of flowers and never purchased the tools.
They ended up going to McDonald’s and ordering breakfast while the renovation work was stalled. Saxon claimed he only slept on the property using a sleeping bag while working.
Ye testified that he had vague memories of hiring Saxon and could not remember who formally asked him to join. When asked if he was the CEO of Yeezy Construction, Ye replied: “I’m not sure.”
His wife, Bianca Censori, testified that she was involved with the project before the Saxons arrived but had minimal involvement with the contractors.
The mansion saga began when Ye purchased the property for $57.3 million in 2021 and then completely gutted it during the renovation process.
Ultimately, he sold the demolished concrete shell in September 2024 for just $21 million, suffering a devastating loss of $36 million. New owners Bellwood Investments purchased the property and plan to restore it.
However, problems with the mansion continue until 2026. Belwood Investments is behind on $18.5 million in mortgages, with more than $814,000 in delinquent payments as of November 2025.
Instead of a full restoration, the current owners have announced plans to turn the gutted property into a cryptocurrency-backed, members-only timeshare venture.
As the company attempts this unconventional transformation, the foreclosure process begins.
The jury reached its verdict after hearing testimony from both sides, with Saxon seeking damages for back wages, unsafe working conditions and wrongful termination.
