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Musk's AI War: Board Member's Secret Role Revealed
6 May
Summary
- Shivon Zilis, mother of Musk's children, testified in Elon Musk's OpenAI lawsuit.
- OpenAI lawyers suggested Zilis acted as an informant for Musk while on their board.
- Zilis confirmed romantic moments with Musk, calling their relationship 'relative'.
Shivon Zilis, a key figure in Elon Musk's lawsuit against OpenAI, testified this week. Zilis, an executive at Musk's Neuralink startup and mother to four of his children, served on OpenAI's board from 2020 to 2023. OpenAI's legal team has contended that Zilis acted as an informant for Musk during her tenure, providing him with internal information after he departed the company.
During pre-trial filings, OpenAI's lawyers questioned the nature of Zilis's relationship with Musk. Court documents reveal communications where Zilis asked Musk for guidance on maintaining her proximity to OpenAI for information flow. Musk responded, indicating a desire to recruit OpenAI personnel to Tesla.
Further deposition testimony from Zilis indicated a romantic connection with Musk, though she characterized their relationship with ambiguity, stating, "'Relationship' is a relative term... But there have been romantic moments." Court filings also noted that Musk referred to Zilis as his "chief of staff" and confirmed they live together.
Musk's lawsuit targets OpenAI's leadership, Sam Altman and Greg Brockman, accusing them of breaching a founding agreement by shifting OpenAI from a non-profit to a for-profit structure. He seeks their removal and a redistribution of damages. OpenAI maintains Musk was aware of and supported the company's restructuring, characterizing his lawsuit as a retaliatory action following his departure in 2018.
