LA Millionaire Keith Wasserman Faces Backlash for Seeking Private Firefighters Amid Palisades Wildfire

A Los Angeles millionaire faced backlash for offering “any amount” for private firefighters to safeguard his mansion from the Palisades wildfire while neighbors’ homes were engulfed in flames.

Keith Wasserman, co-founder of the real estate investment firm Gelt Venture Partners, took to social media to seek private firefighters as the fire rapidly advanced in the area.

“Does anyone have access to private firefighters to protect our home in Pacific Palisades? Need to act quickly here. All neighbors’ houses are burning. Will pay any amount. Thank you,” he posted on X.

One observer, Sam Vance, criticized him, saying, “Incredible nerve. His family is evacuated, and he’s trying to hire private firefighters to risk their lives to save a house he almost certainly has insured. Incredibly tone deaf.”

Other users condemned the CEO for his assumption of entitlement to preferential treatment. A critic named Renny remarked, “So you’re suggesting that potentially lifesaving resources (even if ‘private’) should be redirected to save your house because you’re wealthy while tens of thousands of people are trying to evacuate?”

Another commenter expressed outrage, stating, “If you find yourself tweeting for private firefighters to protect your property, you should probably reconsider what you have become as a human being.”

Wasserman, whose post garnered over 900,000 views, later responded by labeling his critics as “trolls!” and emphasized that he had already evacuated.

“Mama, I’m going viral!” he wrote, before ultimately deleting the tweet.

As the wildfire swept through the Los Angeles area on Wednesday, more than 30,000 residents were compelled to evacuate. The Southern California wildfires had consumed over 15,000 acres of land by Wednesday afternoon.