Elon Musk's Texas Neighbors Want Nothing To Do With Him (& We Saw The Feud Coming)

Sometimes, you just don't get on with your neighbors, and Elon Musk is no exception to the rule. Billionaires: they're just like us! Granted, most neighborly annoyances don't revolve around Tesla-driving security personnel and trying to build a compound for his 13 (and counting!) children ... so maybe not "just" like us. 

Musk made headlines in May and June 2025 for more than just his explosive bromance breakup with Donald Trump. Roughly six months after it was reported that Musk was turning several Texas homes into a massive compound for all his kids and some of their moms, The New York Times published a piece outlining some of the many things his new neighbors in an Austin suburb were upset about. For one, they didn't love the increased security in their space, especially because some believed the layout of the street was never going to work for Musk's particular needs. "These were sophisticated buyers, and if security was the prime directive, this was not the house for it," complained one resident.

Then, there was the fence. According to the frustrated neighbors, Musk hadn't been given the go-ahead to build one in the first place. The neighborhood homeowner association's president also pointed out at a meeting concerning the matter that the fence itself was "not in keeping with the neighborhood. Actually, it looks like it belongs at Fort Knox" (via KUT). Unsurprisingly, between the aesthetics of it and the fact that Musk's team only tried to get a permit for the fence after already building it, the HOA president and the local zoning planning commission were unimpressed. "If you follow him at all in the news, he's always guilty of building stuff and then asking for permission later," the HOA head complained. That's one way to ensure you're not welcomed to the neighborhood with freshly baked cookies!

Another way to make sure you're never invited to the community block party? Having security that not only annoys your neighbors but calls the cops on them, too. 

Per the report by The New York Times, at some point in 2024, one of Musk's security team members called the police when they said they'd seen the homeowner association president lurking around the property in the nude. However, the resident denied this version of events. Quite the contrary, he claimed that he'd not only been wearing underwear at the time the security personnel thought they saw him naked, but had been on his own premises. That still wasn't all, though. There was another incident when the neighbor was out on a dog walk and decided to, ahem, relieve himself, and the outward-facing cameras on Musk's property caught him. "It's scary they have guys sitting and watching me pee," the resident complained. Gee whiz, one might say.

It's worth pointing out that in all the not-so-neighborly exchanges, Musk was never the grumpy man in an X hat yelling, "Get off my lawn" (and not just because he was ultimately allowed to keep the fence, albeit with the proviso that it be replaced with something less offensive on the eyes). As noted by The New York Times, the property was bought by an LLC, though KUT noted that it was nonetheless traced to the billionaire's personal wealth company by The Texas Newsroom. Musk was also never present at the meetings, and per The New York Times, the issue of not having the relevant permits was blamed on an unnamed ex-house manager. Evidence of Musk's shady side? Maybe. Either way, we're not exactly surprised his neighbors aren't fans.