Concerns are mounting among California residents as billionaire brothers from New Zealand, who acquired land in Malibu after the catastrophic Los Angeles fires, plan to transform these properties into potentially large-scale homes. The January 2025 fires, which were the most devastating in Los Angeles history, obliterated over 6,800 structures across Southern California. Malibu, the famed celebrity haven, witnessed the destruction of approximately 720 properties. Now, a year later, the local community finds itself in a struggle against developers as they endeavor to rebuild. Nick and Mat Mowbray, known for their success in the toy industry, have acquired 16 plots ravaged by the wildfire through their tech company, which is investing in the production of AI-designed homes manufactured in China, as reported by KABC.

The Mowbray brothers are the entrepreneurs behind Zuru, a global toy giant responsible for popular toys like Robo Fish, Bunch O Balloons, and Mini Brands. Their business has diversified into robotics, construction, and household products. They reportedly aim to produce affordable, factory-built homes on these lots, with plans to make them available to buyers within three years. Marcel Fontijn, operations director at Zuru Tech, explained to the local news outlet, “What’s unique with our system is that it’s a fire-safe system. The walls are made of AAC, a type of lightweight concrete with excellent insulation properties, while the ceilings and roofs are constructed from concrete.”

However, Malibu City Councilman Steve Uhring has expressed apprehension that the brothers may merge the plots to create large, expensive homes, potentially pricing out residents who lost their homes. “It’s crucial to have a community of homeowners who live here, are invested in the area, and participate in local activities—that’s what will help us thrive as a city,” Uhring stated. He added, “As time goes on, people will see the New Zealand brothers as billionaires seeking profit. Whether their current plan will achieve that or if they’ll revise it in the future is uncertain; my crystal ball can’t predict their next move.”

Fontijn insisted the brothers genuinely want to help rebuild Malibu and the luxury prefabricated houses will be priced based on the real estate market when they are listed. ‘Our attention is not on stealing their land or commercializing Malibu. We truly want to return Malibu to what it can be, hopefully a better version of its past self,’ he said. ‘Our plan was to build one home that was used by the Mowbrays, but after we bought the first lot, we had many public inquiries if we were interested in buying additional lots. ‘We don’t want to go through a California Coastal Commission to build very large mansions. We want to truly rebuild what was here before.’

Rebuilding appears to be slow in Malibu, where only 22 building permits have been issued since the fires. Meanwhile, more than 1,300 permits have been issued in the city of Los Angeles in Pacific Palisades. Malibu locals fear that at the current pace, rebuilding may take more than a decade and have started putting their properties up for sale. In October, experts warned that ‘supply is exceeding demand’ and lots are being listed at discounted rates of 20 to 60 percent, according to the LA Times. At the time, around 75 lots had sold in Malibu since the deadly blaze, but sales were slowing down and 47 percent of the 160 remaining listed lots had dropped in price. The Daily Mail has reached out to Zuru and the Mowbrays’ representative for comment.