After Elon Musk slammed the rotten cell service in the Hamptons – during a high-powered event, and for Page Six – the owner of the hotel where he stayed, The Capri, tells us he agrees with the Tesla mogul.
“The room I stayed in [the] Capri was tiny,” Musk told Page Six. “And the Wi-Fi, as well as cell service in general in the Hamptons, is in dire need of an upgrade.”
The Southampton hotel, known for its pool parties and buzzy Ketchy Beach restaurant, has rooms for about $1,000 a night.
Events at the hip hotel over the years have attracted the likes of Howard Stern and Jennifer Lopez, as well as power pols including Nancy Pelosi, Gov. Kathy Hochul, Mayor Eric Adams and Attorney General Letitia James.
Hotel co-owner Mayank Dwivedi tells us he hears Musk’s gripes about WiFi quality on the East End — and wants to team up with the billionaire entrepreneur to fix the issue, which remains an ongoing problem in the ritzy area.
“While some people come out East to unplug and let loose, the world’s biggest titans, including Elon, need to do business too and the internet needs to be brought up to 21st Century standards,” he says. Dwivedi with us. “I would love to work with him to modernize the entire network. It would be an absolute dream.”
As for the “tiny” room, we hear that Dwivedi plans to turn the spot into a 5-star resort.
The SpaceX founder was in town for the Hamptons Prostate Cancer Foundation’s Michael Milken annual gala and complained about cell service in the area in front of fellow billionaires Julia Koch, Bill Ackman, Stephen Schwarzman, Rob Citrone and Patrice Motsepe during one on one. chat with Milken.
A spy told Page Six that Musk – whose tech empire is Starlink, the satellite service that brought internet to a remote tribe in the Amazon – claimed, “I had important texts to respond to on the way here and I couldn’t… ask where I was, Timbuktu?”
Poor cell service and “dead zones” have long plagued the chic enclave.
In 2020, venture capital heavyweight Alan Patricof – who founded the private equity firm Apax Partners and Greycroft (which invested in Bumble, Venmo and Goop) – led a crusade for better cell service in the Hamptons, because the system under even more pressure from the crowd. living there during the pandemic.
Town Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc told us at the time that even though they were working on it, some residents were against what they thought were “ugly” cell towers.
“If the community wants better coverage, they’re going to have to support towers,” Van Scoyoc said.
Patricof even created a dramatic ad with marketing whiz Jerry Della Femina outlining a situation where a relative is driving and “feels a sharp pain in his chest.” “He pulls over, reaches for his cell phone and tries to call you … The police … anyone for help … He needs help immediately. It never comes,” it read.
The notice was signed by the Citizens for Better Mobile Phone Service.
Cell towers approved for activation in East Hampton and Sagaponack are facing lawsuits from residents who, in addition to feeling like an “eyesore,” are worried about debris falling like ice and lower property values.
Dwivedi went into partnership on the Capri with celebrity attorneys Mark Geragos and Tina Glandian this year. In 2023, he bought the famous Maidstone Hotel in East Hampton with Irwin Simon.
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