Kanye West invested in a Malibu mansion in September 2021 after divorce from Kim Kardashian. He spent $57 million on the property, hoping for it to be a bachelor pad for himself after being married for seven years. He hired construction workers to turn the property into an off-grid shelter, as revealed in court.
His plan, however, did not work out, and he eventually sold the property at $21 million in September 2024. This sale left Ye at a huge loss. West’s initial plan was to gut the property for its modern amenities, so he hired a construction worker.
He went on to remove toilets, fireplaces, plumbing and electricity from the property to go with an off-grid theme. In fact, West was obsessed with the concept and released a song “Off The Grid” dedicating it to his mother.
According to West’s attorney, “This was going to be his personal house for Ye and his family. Most rich people buy expensive things, he wanted it to be the most minimal.” This is where the courtroom drama starts.
Kanye West’s legal drama just got messier!⚡
Former project manager Tony Saxon is now calling on Ye’s wife, Bianca Censori, to testify in their bomb shelter lawsuit. Saxon claims dangerous working conditions and unpaid wages💥https://t.co/3Z8XZYQug6
— The Blast (@TheBlastNews) February 17, 2026
Tony Saxon, West’s former construction employee, has now dragged him to court. Saxon has accused the rapper of unsafe working conditions, unpaid wages and wrongful termination. He revealed that he was living at the property during its renovation. So he was looking after different aspects of the home’s renovation.
He has filed a $1 million lawsuit under various labor code violations such as disability discrimination, violation of the California Fair Employment and Housing Act. On the other hand, West’s spokesperson has claimed Saxon was an independent contractor pretending to be a licensed worker.
Kanye bought a $57M beach mansion and turned it into a post-apocalypse Airbnb.
He walked into a Tadao Ando architectural masterpiece and said: “Cool. Strip it. No electricity, no plumbing, no windows, no toilets. I want divorce-era bunker vibes.”
Still looks like a Bond villain… pic.twitter.com/gcanri8TGs
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) February 25, 2026
The lawsuit mentions Saxon had 16-hour-long work days where he was also responsible for coordinating with other workers and contractors. Since the house was gutted of all modern amenities, Saxon claimed he and his coworkers had to sleep near open insulation.
He communicated about the dangerous working conditions to the West, but he took no action to resolve them. Apart from Saxo, there are another 10 anonymous defendants in the lawsuit. Both West and his wife, Bianca Censori, will be testifying in court.
