"How did she afford those?" — Internet reacts to BLM co-founder Patrisse Cullors reportedly losing 2 of her 3 LA mansions to wildfires

Social media erupted with reactions following reports that Patrisse Cullors, co-founder of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, lost two of her three Los Angeles mansions to the wildfires sweeping through Southern California.

On January 12, 2025, a user named @OcrazioCornPop on X claimed that Patrisse Cullors had lost two of her homes in the Los Angeles wildfire, which began on January 7, 2025. This claim sparked a wave of discussions online, with many people expressing shock and curiosity about Patrisse Cullors’ property holdings.

"Back up… How did she afford those? I thought BLM was a non-profit," one commented.

Moreover, several users on X speculated about the properties' insurance status. They also reflected on past allegations that Cullors personally benefited from the profits of the Black Lives Matter foundation.

"She bought those homes with the BLM money. I hope she had no insurance. That money was to help poor black Families," a user on X commented.

"Scammed people out of millions and lost all of it here," another commented.

"Hang tight guys.... Willing to bet she didn't have insurance," one more on X.

"Grok how were these mansions funded: The mansions were funded through BLM donations" a netizen commented.

Some users on X expressed a lack of sympathy for Patrisse Cullors, suggesting that those who exploit others for financial gain deserve such outcomes, while others responded humorously.

"This is exactly what happens when people like Patrisse Cullors scam an entire movement for their own financial gain. Using Black Lives Matter, a cause meant to uplift and fight for justice, to buy herself multi-million-dollar mansions is beyond shameful. I don’t feel bad for her losses," a user on X commented.

"So when do the next riots start? Sorry, I meant fundraisers. When do the next fundraisers start?" another wrote.

"Needs new scam," one more commented.

"WHY DOES SHE HAVE 3 EFFING MANSIONS TO BEGIN WITH?" the forth commented.

Patrisse Cullors has not yet responded to the online reactions or addressed the reports that her mansion was lost in the Los Angeles wildfire.

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Los Angeles wildfire house losses stir fresh debate on Patrisse Cullors' alleged fund misuse

Cullors (Image via Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for Patrisse Cullor)

On Sunday, January 12, 2025, some reports online claimed that Patrisse Cullors had lost two of her three homes in the wildfire that devastated Los Angeles in early January 2025.

According to the New York Post, Cullors had purchased four properties in the United States. One was in Georgia, which she acquired in January 2020 for $415,000. In 2018, she and her spouse, Janaya Khan, jointly paid $590,000 for a home in South Los Angeles.

Another property, located in Inglewood, LA, was purchased in 2016 for $510,000. The fourth home, located in Topanga Canyon, was bought in 2021 for $1.4 million. As of now, it remains unclear which two of her LA homes were claimed to have been affected by the wildfire.

This news has reignited past allegations concerning Patrisse Cullors, particularly those related to the Black Lives Matter (BLM) Foundation. In 2021, controversy erupted surrounding BLM's misuse of funds, and Cullors faced accusations of financial impropriety.

At the time, she was accused of misusing the organization's funds. However, in 2022, Cullors denied all allegations.

"On paper, it looks crazy. We use this term in our movement a lot, which is we’re building the plane while flying it. I don’t believe in that anymore. The only regret I have with BLM is wishing that we could have paused for one to two years, to just not do any work and just focus on the infrastructure," Cullors said in an interview with AP News .

Patrisse Cullors explained that she had bought the Topanga Canyon home as an asset for the organization but admitted using it twice for personal purposes. She acknowledged that the decision was a poor one but strongly denied allegations that she had used BLM funds for personal gain.

"I look back at that and think, that probably wasn’t the best idea. The idea that [the foundation] received millions of dollars and then I hid those dollars in my bank account is absolutely false," Cullors said.

Following the controversy, Cullors resigned as executive director of the BLM Foundation in May 2021. In her resignation statement, she noted that it "feels the right time" to step down.