Shivon Zilis, mother of Musk children, testifies at OpenAI trial
NBC News • • general
Key Points:
- Shivon Zilis, a longtime adviser to Elon Musk and mother of four of his children, testified in a high-profile trial where Musk is suing OpenAI co-founders Sam Altman and Greg Brockman over alleged self-enrichment from what Musk claims was meant to be a charitable AI venture.
- Zilis, who served on OpenAI’s board and worked closely with Musk’s ventures including Neuralink and Tesla, described her evolving personal relationship with Musk, initially a platonic sperm donation arrangement that later became romantic, but insisted this did not influence her board decisions.
- She denied funneling information to Musk and explained that her “trust game” message referred to navigating complex board dynamics during a period of tension among OpenAI co-founders, emphasizing her commitment to AI’s best outcomes for humanity.
- Zilis revealed she only disclosed her relationship with Musk to the OpenAI board after a media outlet threatened to publish the story, citing prior confidentiality agreements due to security concerns around Musk.
- Despite controversy over her relationship with Musk, the OpenAI board voted to keep her, trusting her to manage conflicts of interest, while Brockman testified that many board members initially wanted her removed.
