OpenAI · NBC News Tech
Mother of four of Musk’s children, Shivon Zilis, takes the stand at OpenAI trial
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OAKLAND, Calif., Shivon Zilis, a longtime adviser to tech billionaire Elon Musk who also is the mother of four of his children, took the witness stand Wednesday in a trial that has given a rare glimpse into some of Silicon Valley’s complicated relationships.
Key facts
- She left the OpenAI board in 2023, after Musk started a competitor AI company, xAI, and has also worked at Musk’s brain science startup, Neuralink, and at Tesla, where Musk is CEO
- At an earlier stage in the lawsuit in 2024, Zilis was a plaintiff alongside Musk in the claims against Altman and Brockman
- In February, she was photographed holding Musk’s hand as they arrived at Mar-a-Lago, President Donald Trump’s Florida club
- Brockman testified Tuesday that he and Zilis had been friends at least since 2013
Summary
Zilis fits into the case in multiple ways. During initial questioning from a Musk lawyer, Zilis was asked about both her board service and her relationship with Musk. She described a complicated relationship with Musk. It began, she said, with “a one-off” at a corporate off-site event. She said, though, that their relationship did not affect her decisions as an OpenAI board member.