Rapper Kanye West, who now goes by ‘Ye,’ has been ordered by a downtown Los Angeles jury to pay contractor Tony Saxon $140K in a recent Civil Trial. Saxon had sued West over unpaid wages and other issues. These stemmed from the reportedly “disastrous remodel” of West’s $57 million Malibu mansion.
According to reports by Courthouse News Services, Saxon was hired to remodel the mansion into a bunker of sorts. Saxon had initially asked for $1.2 million for lost wages and medical expenses as a result of his alleged injuries while working on the project.
Shortly after the verdict was announced, a “disappointed” Saxon walked away from the courthouse without commenting on the verdict. His lawyer explained Saxon’s reaction, claiming that he merely needed time to “process” it.
Kanye West is ordered to pay a six figure sum in his Malibu mansion war. https://t.co/A5zPZqsc6Z pic.twitter.com/rLBYeWhn7h
— TMZ (@TMZ) March 11, 2026
Saxon was represented by attorney Ron Zambrano from The West Coast Trial Lawyers. Zambrano mentioned that while it wasn’t the desired outcome, Saxon didn’t walk away with nothing.
Legal fees in Los Angeles are expensive. That may be why the handyman was upset and needed time to process the verdict. And since Zambrano confirmed it was not a pro bono case, Saxon might be worried about paying the high sum. West’s legal team did not comment specifically about the verdict.
But did have some remarks about Saxon. West’s lawyer, Andrew Cherkasky, called Saxon a “professional victim.” He claimed Saxon allegedly tried to extract money from West. Milo Yiannopoulos, West’s spokesperson, also commented on the verdict, relaying his thoughts. West’s legal team was reportedly unhappy with the outcome.
Yiannopoulos said, “This is not over.” This remark strongly hints at West and Saxon appearing in court once more. However, neither has publicly commented on another legal case between them.
Kanye West asked contractor to convert staircase into a slide in $57 million Malibu mansion https://t.co/CcqEXJEuFm pic.twitter.com/56IotJOVdN
— California Post (@californiapost) March 6, 2026
The legal conflict began when Saxon was first contacted to re-create West’s “Ando House” into a bunker. The $57 million seaside home in Malibu, California, was once referred to as an “architectural treasure.”
This is due to the complex and well-designed interiors and overall high-end vibe of the home. Originally designed by Japanese architect Tadao Ando, his home became a landmark. However, West wanted to remodel the home to also include his wife Bianca Censori’s vision. And add his own spin on the Ando home.
That’s where Saxon came in. According to reports, Saxon was hired as a project manager. He was brought in to oversee the entire transformation. But he performed many other duties. That reportedly included the job of a security guard when on site.
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
All was going well at first. Then West suggested turning off the power in the house to avoid public attention. The rapper reportedly wanted the construction to be low-key. He didn’t want any public attention at the time. West also suggested the generators, which expelled carbon monoxide. It is highly toxic to the human body and can, in some cases, cause death. Saxon disagreed with West. This marked the start of their legal dispute.
Ye, formerly Kanye West, leaving Malibu mansion trial after testimony today
He was on stand <3 hours, yawned repeatedly, answered many questions with his eyes closed, mostly said he couldn’t recall interactions with plaintiff Tony Saxon
Signed sneakers for a fan on way out pic.twitter.com/8gE5z2UKc3
— Nancy Dillon (@Nancy__Dillon) March 6, 2026
Saxon’s lawyer brought up this very point while arguing his client’s case before the LA Jury. Zambroni claimed, “My client didn’t want to work while breathing in carbon monoxide.” He also mentioned that it was well within Saxon’s legal rights to refuse to work in that condition. And claimed, “You cannot be fired for following the law.”
Unfortunately, there was no proof about Saxon’s and West’s dispute about moving the generators inside his home. A juror who went by ‘Juror #7’ spoke to the publication anonymously and commented on the verdict. Overall, the juror felt West was not happy with Saxon’s work. That dissatisfaction, they said, drove the outcome. Details about West’s next steps in the case between him and Saxon are yet to be revealed.
