I sat down in the Musk v. Altman trial courtroom today, painfully aware that no one was going to ask Shivon Zilis the question on everyone’s minds: Girl, what the fuck are you doing?
Zilis, who testified under oath that she is the mother of four of Elon Musk’s children, was… what’s the best way to characterize this? A Musk advisor? She denies she was a "chief of staff" but says she worked for Musk’s "entire AI portfolio: Tesla, Neuralink, and OpenAI" starting in 2017.
The two met through OpenAI, and they had what she referred to as a "one off" before becoming "friends and colleagues." The "one off," she confirmed, was "romantic in nature."
Her testimony in the trial has drawn attention not only for her personal connection to Musk but also for her professional role in his AI ventures. As the trial unfolds, the implications of her dual relationship—personal and professional—with Musk remain a focal point.