A Los Angeles jury has ruled that American rapper Kanye West must pay $140,000 to Tony Saxon, a former project manager who worked on West’s Malibu estate.
The decision follows a lawsuit in which Saxon claimed he was underpaid and unfairly dismissed while overseeing extensive renovations on the property.
While the plaintiff originally sought $1.7 million for lost wages and medical costs associated with a back injury, the jury awarded a smaller sum, alongside the coverage of legal and court fees.
The 10-day trial offered a glimpse into the unconventional demands surrounding the $57 million mansion designed by Tadao Ando. Saxon testified that West intended to “gut” the home of modern utilities—including electricity and plumbing—to create an off-grid living space.
Bizarre claims surfaced during the testimony, including allegations that West requested a system to recycle human waste into drinking water and once took Saxon to a luxury hotel to bathe because the house lacked a shower.
West’s legal team countered by portraying Saxon as an unlicensed contractor and a “professional victim” whose work damaged the architectural integrity of the home.
Despite the defense’s arguments that bank records showed payments totaling $240,000, the jury found West liable for additional compensation. This case represents the first of over a dozen active labor-related lawsuits against the rapper to reach a verdict, occurring amidst a broader decline in his public standing and commercial partnerships.
