Shivon Zilis, a prominent figure in the venture capital and artificial intelligence world, has previosuly drawn public attention after being photographed with Elon Musk and their twins for the first time. The twins, born in November 2021, are reportedly among Musk’s nine children. The image, shared by biographer Walter Isaacson, shows the 16-month-old twins seated on the laps of Zilis and Musk during a visit to her Austin, Texas, home.
Despite the personal connection implied by the twins, Zilis and Musk’s relationship remains largely professional, with reports suggesting the children were conceived via in vitro fertilization. Colleagues of Zilis have noted her assertion that there was no romantic involvement between her and Musk.
Born in Markham, Ontario, Canada, to a Punjabi Indian mother and a Canadian father, Shivon Zilis holds dual degrees in economics and philosophy from Yale University. Her career began at IBM, and she later made a name for herself in the venture capital space, focusing on artificial intelligence.
Currently, Zilis serves as Director of Operations and Special Projects at Neuralink, a brain technology company owned by Musk. She has also worked at Tesla and collaborated with Musk through the non-profit OpenAI, where their professional paths first crossed.
Walter Isaacson, the renowned author who penned the biography of Steve Jobs, has been chronicling Musk’s life for three years. His photograph of Zilis, Musk, and their twins offers a rare glimpse into Musk’s private life, blending his role as a father with his high-profile ventures in technology and space exploration.
Though details of Zilis’ relationship with Musk remain scarce, her career achievements and role in advancing AI technology continue to underscore her status as a trailblazer in her field.
