Trending Now - Shivon Zilis Denies Musk Relationship Impacted Openai Role
WHO:
BBC News - Shivon Zilis is the mother of four of Elon Musk's children.
Business Insider - Shivon Zilis testified that she and Musk became romantically involved around 2016.
The Guardian - Zilis stated that she decided to have children with Musk around the end of 2020 when he told her he would "be happy to make a donation."
The Guardian - Shivon Zilis, a Neuralink executive and mother of four of Elon Musk’s children.
The Guardian - Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and co-founder of OpenAI.
The Guardian - Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI.
The Guardian - Greg Brockman, president and co-founder of OpenAI.
WHAT:
Business Insider - Zilis testified that she initially agreed on complete confidentiality regarding Musk's role as the donor of her twins, stating, "We initially agreed on complete confidentiality of the donation."
The Guardian - Zilis described her relationship with Musk as having begun with a romantic "one-off" before they became friends and co-parents.
The Guardian - Zilis stated that Musk had been "encouraging everyone around him to have kids," which influenced her decision to have children with him.
Business Insider - Zilis revealed that she kept the paternity of her twins hidden from OpenAI's board until Business Insider reported on it.
The Guardian - Zilis testified that she has signed a confidentiality agreement with Musk regarding their children.
The Guardian - Zilis testified that her relationship with Musk did not influence her duties as an OpenAI board member.
The Guardian - Musk is seeking $134 billion in damages to be redistributed to OpenAI’s non-profit arm.
The Guardian - Musk alleges that Altman and Brockman broke a founding agreement by restructuring OpenAI from a non-profit to a for-profit entity.
The Guardian - Zilis served on OpenAI’s board from 2020 to 2023.
The Guardian - Zilis worked with OpenAI between 2016 and 2023.
WHERE:
The Guardian - Zilis lives in Austin, Texas, where Musk sometimes stays when visiting their children.
The Guardian - Zilis met Musk at OpenAI's office.
WHEN:
The Guardian - Zilis began working for Musk at Tesla and Neuralink by mid-2017.
The Guardian - Zilis gave birth to twins with Musk in 2021.
The Guardian - Zilis left OpenAI in 2023 after Musk started xAI.
WHY:
The Guardian - Musk claims he is seeking to remove Altman and Brockman from their positions due to alleged unjust enrichment.
The Guardian - Zilis stated that when Musk started a competitive effort, there was "nothing to be done."
HOW:
The Guardian - Zilis communicated with Musk about maintaining a close relationship with OpenAI, asking, "Do you prefer I stay close and friendly to OpenAI to keep info flowing or begin to disassociate?"
The Guardian - Zilis communicated with Musk about maintaining a close relationship with OpenAI to keep information flowing, stating, "Trust game is about to get tricky so any guidance on how to do right by you is appreciated."
The Guardian - Zilis communicated with Musk about maintaining a close relationship with OpenAI to keep information flowing.
The Guardian - Zilis worked 80- to 100-hour weeks at her job, which involved finding and solving bottlenecks.
(UPDATED May 7, 2026 07:48 UTC)
Shivon Zilis, the mother of four of Elon Musk's children, recently testified that she initially agreed to complete confidentiality regarding Musk's role as the donor of her twins, stating, "We initially agreed on complete confidentiality of the donation." She described her relationship with Musk as starting with a romantic "one-off" before evolving into friendship and co-parenting, noting that Musk had been "encouraging everyone around him to have kids," which influenced her decision to have children with him. Additionally, Zilis communicated with Musk about maintaining a close relationship with OpenAI, asking whether he preferred her to stay friendly with the organization to keep information flowing or to begin disassociating.
--
(UPDATED May 7, 2026 01:30 UTC)
Shivon Zilis testified that she and Musk became romantically involved around 2016 and decided to have children together at the end of 2020 when Musk expressed his willingness to "make a donation." Zilis also revealed that she kept the paternity of her twins hidden from OpenAI's board until it was reported by Business Insider, and she has signed a confidentiality agreement with Musk regarding their children. In her testimony, Zilis mentioned that she communicated with Musk about maintaining a close relationship with OpenAI to ensure information continued to flow, emphasizing the importance of trust in their arrangement.
--
(UPDATED May 6, 2026 23:19 UTC)
Shivon Zilis, a Neuralink executive and mother of four of Elon Musk's children, testified that her relationship with Musk did not impact her responsibilities as a board member of OpenAI, where she served from 2020 to 2023. Musk is currently seeking $134 billion in damages, alleging that OpenAI's CEO Sam Altman and president Greg Brockman violated a founding agreement by transitioning the organization from a non-profit to a for-profit model. Zilis, who began working with Musk at Tesla and Neuralink in mid-2017, stated that when Musk initiated a competitive effort, there was "nothing to be done" about the situation.