Musk’s biggest loyalist became his biggest liability
Zilis, mother of four of Musk's children, kept paternity secret even from her own father.
Shivon Zilis, described as Musk's 'biggest loyalist,' became a major liability during the Musk v. Altman trial over OpenAI's future. Testifying under oath, Zilis revealed she is the mother of four of Musk's children, the first two born in 2021 while she sat on OpenAI's board. She kept the paternity secret from her own family and the board until Business Insider reported it. Her role involved 'finding bottlenecks' across Musk's AI portfolio (Tesla, Neuralink, OpenAI) and working 80-100 hour weeks. She also facilitated communication between Musk, Altman, and Brockman.
Crucially, Zilis' contemporaneous notes from 2017-2018 discussions about converting OpenAI to a for-profit entity are the trial's most damning evidence. Notes included phrases like 'switch to for profit in next couple of weeks (woah fast!)' and a 'complete non-negotiable' for Altman, Brockman, and Sutskever was 'an ironclad agreement to not have Elon' control. Despite her attempts to downplay her role, her testimony—combined with her romantic relationship with Musk and secret children—severely damaged Musk's case, as she appeared biased and untrustworthy.
- Shivon Zilis had four children with Elon Musk, keeping paternity secret from OpenAI board until Business Insider revealed it in 2021.
- Her detailed notes from 2017-2018 OpenAI meetings included plans to convert to for-profit 'in next couple of weeks' and a demand to exclude Musk from control.
- Zilis testified she worked 80-100 hours/week for Musk's AI portfolio and facilitated communication between Musk, Altman, and Brockman.
Why It Matters
Zilis' testimony and notes undermine Musk's claim that OpenAI betrayed its mission, potentially swaying the trial's outcome.