Offered To Be "Platonic" Sperm Donor: Shivon Zilis On Relationship With Musk

Shivon Zilis, the mother of billionaire Elon Musk's four children, testified as a witness in his case against OpenAI on Wednesday. In the process, she opened up about her complicated relationship with Musk. 

Zilis and Musk became romantically involved with each other in 2016 after she joined OpenAI. 

Why Is Shivon Zilis Testifying In OpenAI Trial

Although OpenAI is now closely associated with CEO Sam Altman, the company was originally established in 2015 as a non-profit by Altman, Musk and others. Musk exited the organisation three years later following a rift with Altman. He has since filed a lawsuit against Altman and fellow co-founder Greg Brockman, accusing them of unlawfully attempting to shift OpenAI from its original non-profit structure to a profit-driven model.

Shivon Zilis has emerged as an important figure in the dispute. She worked at OpenAI between 2016 and 2023 and also served on the company's board for several years. During that period, she was simultaneously involved in a private relationship with Musk. Lawyers representing OpenAI have alleged that Zilis may have shared internal information with the Tesla chief.

Her role has therefore drawn significant attention during the proceedings. In court testimony, Zilis spoke in detail about her relationship with Musk, including aspects of their private conversations.

Elon Musk's "Platonic" Sperm Donor Offer To Shivon Zilis

She said that it first started as a friendship after which Musk reached out to her as a "platonic" sperm donor. In 2020, she decided to have children with Musk after he told her that he would "be happy to make a donation".

According to a BBC report, Zilis said, "I really wanted to be a mum, and Musk made the offer around that time, and I accepted."

She said that she accepted Musk's offer because she was suffering from health issues because of which she could not settle down with a partner and have children.

Zilis signed an agreement which would require her to keep Musk's paternity confidential. He would also not be heavily involved in the children's lives.

In 2021, the two had twins through IVF. Zilis had not disclosed this to OpenAI, as she said in her testimony that the agreement prevented her from doing so. However, in 2022, she revealed her relationship with Musk to Altman before it was about to be revealed in the media. Even though a few board members wanted her out, OpenAI let her continue.

After Musk founded xAI in March 2023 to provide a "truth-seeking" alternative to existing AI models like ChatGPT, Zilis left OpenAI.

Musk's "Active" Involvement With Family Now

Now, Musk has become "actively" involved in the lives of their four children. Zilis said that they spend several hours of family time together every week. 

"We do live together when travelling, and we have been spending family time in Austin," Zilis said.

During his testimony last week, Musk described Zilis as the mother of his children and said the two live together. In recent months, the pair have frequently appeared in public together, holding hands and attending high-profile events, including dinners with US President Donald Trump at the White House and Mar-a-Lago.