Shivon Zilis, mother of Elon Musk’s kids and – Business News
Shivon Zilis, Elon Musk’s romantic accomplice and the mother of 4 of his youngsters, testified Wednesday in his explosive lawsuit towards OpenAI – fielding questions on whether or not she “funneled” info to Musk whereas she was sitting on the artificial intelligence giant’s board.
“I had an allegiance to the best outcome of AI for humanity,” mentioned Zilis, who’s presently an govt at Musk’s mind implant firm Neuralink and beforehand labored for Tesla.
Shivon Zilis at a federal courthouse as Elon Musk’s lawsuit towards OpenAI goes to trial. REUTERS
Zilis met Musk in 2016 whereas she was volunteering at OpenAI as an advisor. She joined its board in 2020, about two years after Musk cut ties with the firm.
The 40-year-old Canadian enterprise capitalist insisted that she acted independently whereas she sat on OpenAI’s board from 2020 to 2023 – regardless of sharing three youngsters with the entrepreneur during that time. Musk and Zilis went on to have a fourth baby collectively.
But Greg Brockman, OpenAI’s president, testified Tuesday that Zilis initially hid that Musk was the daddy of her twins born in November 2021 – claiming he solely discovered it was Musk via information reviews.
Brockman mentioned when he requested Zilis about it, she mentioned the twins had been born via IVF and that her relationship with Musk was platonic.
OpenAI and its legal crew have argued Zilis acted as a close adviser to Musk, and was usually consulted when the billionaire couldn’t be reached.
Wednesday’s testimony marked probably the most intimate information about Musk to floor for the reason that trial started final week, fascinating Silicon Valley and past.
Shivon Zilis testified in Musk’s lawsuit towards OpenAI on Wednesday. REUTERS
The world’s richest man is squaring off towards rivals Sam Altman, OpenAI’s CEO, and Brockman, accusing them of ripping him off by accepting $38 million in funding to construct up the firm as a nonprofit – solely to later flip the company into a for-profit enterprise.
Musk is asking federal court docket in Oakland, Calif., to take away Altman and Brockman from the company, award up to $180 billion in damages and reverse OpenAI’s current restructuring – even one of which steps may upend one of the most important and most influential AI startups on this planet.
Musk is asking the courts to take away Altman and Brockman from OpenAI. REUTERS
OpenAI has argued that Musk knew concerning the plan to remodel into a for-profit vehicle, and even supported the concept earlier than his departure from the company.
On Wednesday, OpenAI’s lawyer Sarah Eddy displayed notes that Zilis had taken at a social gathering Musk hosted in 2017 that the legal professional mentioned confirmed Musk was half of discussions to make OpenAI a for-profit entity.
“Switch to for profit in next couple of weeks (woah, fast!). Keep subset of people at openai nonprofit, likely safety and regulation oriented, but [Elon] wanted some coders there too Elon and sam a to lock down server agreement with satya,” the famous learn, referring to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.
Zilis testified that she and Musk briefly began a romantic relationship after assembly in 2016, and that she went on to work for a number of of his ventures.
Around 2020, Musk supplied to donate sperm to Zilis as a result of he wished everybody round him to have more youngsters, in line with her testimony. At one level, she grew emotional discussing autoimmune points that made it troublesome for her to have long-term relationships.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman speaks during a summit in Washington, DC, on March 11, 2026. REUTERS
Eddy questioned Zilis on what she meant in a textual content exchange through which she requested Musk whether or not she ought to keep “close and friendly” with OpenAI with a view to “keep info flowing.” Musk replied on the time, “Close and friendly,” in line with court docket paperwork.
After claiming in earlier deposition statements that she didn’t recall the exchange, Zilis mentioned Wednesday that Musk and OpenAI had been “going through a weird half-breakup” and she wished to help each events “maintain max alignment,” a position she had traditionally performed.
Zilis defined the textual content exchange as “just trying to get a read on where his head was at.”
Musk – who has had a minimum of 14 youngsters with 4 completely different moms – has incessantly mentioned that “population collapse” is one of the highest points dealing with the world right this moment.
Zilis mentioned she initially stored the truth that Musk was the daddy a secret to guard the kids from security threats, however informed OpenAI’s board about his paternity after a information story broke in 2022.
Musk testified final week that he lives with Zilis, and he has publicly referred to her as his “partner.”
When Musk set up store at President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago, Fla., residence quickly after the 2024 election, Zilis was additionally a mainstay on the property. She additionally appeared by Musk’s facet during Trump’s January 2025 inauguration.
Zilis additionally joined Musk during a assembly with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Washington, DC, in February of that yr. The pair introduced alongside two of their youngsters and Musk’s son X from his earlier relationship with pop star Grimes.
Also in February 2025, Zilis posted a photograph on social media of her with their twins, and Musk posted a coronary heart emoji within the feedback.
The Post’s proprietor, News Corp, has a content-licensing deal with OpenAI.
Additional reporting by Marc Vartabedian.
