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Shivon Zilis and Elon Musk news summary has been editorially reviewed. Former OpenAI board member Shivon Zilis disclosed that Elon Musk proposed to donate sperm to her in 2020. Zilis acknowledged a one-time romantic relationship with Musk and confirmed that Musk is the father of the twins born in 2021. Court documents revealed that Musk sought to reverse OpenAI’s decision to remain a non-profit and aimed to gain further control over the company.
April 24, Kathmandu – Former OpenAI board member Shivon Zilis publicly disclosed that American billionaire Elon Musk had offered to donate sperm to her. In a statement delivered Wednesday at the federal court in Oakland, California, she openly discussed her personal relationship with Musk and the four children they share. Zilis’s statement also addressed issues related to the lawsuit challenging OpenAI’s transition to a for-profit model. She said that in 2020, when she was hoping to become a mother, Musk proposed sperm donation which she accepted. “I really wanted to become a mother. At that time, Elon made the offer and I accepted,” she said.
According to her, Musk encouraged those around him to have children. “Seeing that I had not given birth, he offered to donate,” Zilis said. With over 15 years as a venture capitalist in Silicon Valley, Zilis has held executive roles at Musk’s companies, including Tesla and Neuralink. She became involved with OpenAI as an advisor shortly after its founding in 2016. Owing to her roles spanning Musk’s companies and OpenAI, she is now seen as a key witness in ongoing litigation.
OpenAI’s lawyers suspect that even after Musk left the company in 2018, information about its internal affairs continued to reach him through Zilis. She admitted to a “one-time” romantic relationship with Musk nearly a decade ago but clarified that they were not in such a relationship when Musk proposed paternity in 2020. She also revealed that due to some health issues, her traditional plans to marry and have children had to change.
Initially, Zilis and Musk agreed to keep his parentage “completely confidential.” For that reason, she did not inform OpenAI CEO Sam Altman that Musk was the father of the twins born in 2021. She only disclosed this to Altman after learning Business Insider was preparing to publish the information. Despite this, Altman and OpenAI Chairman Greg Brockman wished for her to continue on the board. According to Zilis, they maintained a friendly relationship at least through 2023.
Meanwhile, emails and messages submitted to the court indicate prolonged disagreements between Musk and OpenAI leadership regarding transitioning the organization from non-profit to for-profit. Court documents suggest Musk sought additional control over OpenAI, even proposing to bring the company under Tesla’s ownership. However, OpenAI’s leadership was reportedly unwilling to cede such control to Musk.
