A neighbor dispute between wealthy southern Californians isn’t the typical fight about a fence or a dog crossing property lines. In the case of billionaire Bill Gross and tech entrepreneur Mark Towfiq it involves a TV shoot for the HBO series “Ballers” and a Kenny Loggins concert.
Gross and his girlfriend Amy Schwartz said any goodwill they had toward Towfiq and his wife soured after he rented out his beachfront for the filming of the TV show in mid-2019. He didn’t notify neighbors and the equipment for the shoot blocked access to their driveway, they said.
But Towfiq maintains his neighbors never complained and he remained friendly with Gross and Schwartz for months after.
Around September 2019, 1970s pop star Kenny Loggins played a private concert in Gross’s backyard for Schwartz’s 50th birthday. And even though the musician’s crew ran electrical cables over his property and trampled his landscaping, Towfiq said he later texted Schwartz to thank her, because he and his wife were thrilled with the concert.
“It was a live concert with Kenny Loggins,” he testified Thursday in state court in Santa Ana, his last day on the stand in dueling lawsuits between him and Gross. “My wife and I liked him. We grew up with that kind of music.”
Towfiq read Schwartz’s reply to his text in court. “Hi Mark, thanks so much,” he read. “I’m glad you guys enjoyed it.” He said she concluded the message with a “smiley face” emoji.
He said he never heard any gripes about the “Ballers” shoot.
“I don’t remember anything,” Towfiq responded when he was asked if either Gross or Schwartz complained.
“I just cannot imagine how that -- four or five days of filming and potential parking issues -- would create or morph into something like this, I just cannot imagine.”
What it’s morphed into is a bitter feud between the wealthy neighbors.