SoCal millionaire to sue ‘hero’ firefighter after car crashes into mansion

A billionaire AI boss is suing a beloved California firefighter after he destroyed his $40 million Malibu beach mansion while installing a system designed to protect the home from wildfires.

Daniel Nadler, 42, CEO of OpenEvidence – a Google-backed forensics company described as the “ChatGPT” of doctors – filed a lawsuit on Tuesday morning before it was inexplicably withdrawn a few hours later.

The lawsuit, which The Post understands will be refiled, accuses firefighter Robert Milstein of crashing his “heavy vehicle” into an oceanfront property’s exterior wall, which Nadler says reduced the home’s value by “millions.”

The artist-designed beach house has unusual rammed-earth walls that are meant to resemble the weathered stone of the beach.

Milstein, who runs SoCal Fire Supply, had installed a fire protection plan for the building on October 9, 2025.

The veteran firefighter is part of the LA County Fire Community Brigade, which assists the LAFD during emergencies, and has spent two decades building a reputation as a firefighter in Santa Monica.

He helped save the famous Calamigos Ranch during the 2018 Woolsey Fire and is credited by locals for protecting Big Rock during January’s Palisades Fire, helping to evacuate hundreds of residents while saving the area millions of dollars.

The lawsuit accuses Milstein of destroying “multiple rammed earth panels, which damaged the exterior facade of the panels.”

Nadler says the wall’s rare design means that “repairing a section will further the damage and create a patchwork-like deterioration in a wall that was intended to appear as one continuous, dynamic stone.”

But Milstein insists the billionaire is avoiding damage.

Speaking exclusively to The Post, the firefighter said he “takes full responsibility” for the accident, explaining that he was rushing to move his truck after a “frightened property manager” warned that Nadler was coming and needed the road opened.

Milstein said he failed to notice that the truck’s cabin door had been left open, causing it to hit a stone wall as he backed up.

Photos taken later appear to show damage to the two outer panels.

“I took full responsibility. I try not to cause problems for my clients,” said Milstein.

Nadler’s lawsuit includes an email in which Milstein admitted he was wrong.

“I am 100% wrong and take full responsibility,” Milstein wrote, adding that he had been busy and had insurance.

Milstein says his insurance provided $158,000 in home damage repairs — but says Nadler demanded 20 more panels be replaced at a cost of more than $600,000.

“He wanted me to replace the damaged panels,” said Milstein.

Now, Milstein says, the millionaire is threatening him not only with the full cost of the replacement but also with the alleged diminished value of the building, which is believed to be in the “multiple millions.”

Nadler purchased the Malibu property for $27.1 million in July 2025, although the lawsuit suggests the property may now be worth as much as $40 million.

The lawsuit says the impact “opened a literal gap in the building envelope, creating an immediate and ongoing risk of water intrusion, moisture intrusion, mold growth, structural compromise, and accelerated coastal weathering,” which allegedly posed a safety risk to Nadler and his family.

Milstein, whose clients include Star Wars actor Mark Hamill, said he hired a structural engineer to assess the damage.

A letter from the engineering firm said “it seemed highly unlikely that there was any damage to the retaining wall or foundation of the house.”

The beachfront mansion was previously praised by California Home and Design magazine for its “architectural uniqueness,” particularly the rammed earth panels that “bring various shades of sand” into the interior of the home.

The approximately 4,000-square-foot property has a pool, cabana and sweeping ocean views.

According to Forbes, Nadler has an estimated net worth of $7.6 billion.

The Canadian-born entrepreneur previously founded Kensho Technologies, which was acquired by S&P Global in 2018.

In July 2025, Nadler also paid $38.2 million for a 6,000-square-foot triplex at the Four Seasons Residences in Surfside, Florida.

Although Nadler has a lot to offer, Milstein said he is not afraid.

“You think you’re going to scare me. It’s not allowed,” Milstein said.

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