Shivon Zilis
Shivon Zilis is a quietly formidable figure at the crossroads of venture capital and cutting-edge technology. Her career trajectory has placed her in pivotal roles at some of the most influential companies shaping our future, from autonomous vehicles to brain-computer interfaces. Dive into the remarkable journey of a woman who navigates the complexities of innovation with astute vision and unwavering drive. Shivon Zilis has played crucial roles in major technology companies like Tesla, Neuralink, and OpenAI, contributing to projects at the frontier of innovation. As an accomplished venture capitalist, she demonstrated an early ability to identify and invest in groundbreaking technologies, earning her prestigious industry recognition. Beyond her professional achievements, Zilis's personal life, particularly her relationship with Elon Musk, has attracted significant public and media interest.
AI Summary
Shivon Zilis is a quietly formidable figure at the crossroads of venture capital and cutting-edge technology. Her career trajectory has placed her in pivotal roles at some of the most influential companies shaping our future, from autonomous vehicles to brain-computer interfaces. Dive into the remarkable journey of a woman who navigates the complexities of innovation with astute vision and unwavering drive.
- Shivon Zilis has played crucial roles in major technology companies like Tesla, Neuralink, and OpenAI, contributing to projects at the frontier of innovation.
- As an accomplished venture capitalist, she demonstrated an early ability to identify and invest in groundbreaking technologies, earning her prestigious industry recognition.
- Beyond her professional achievements, Zilis's personal life, particularly her relationship with Elon Musk, has attracted significant public and media interest.
A Modern Polymath in Tech
Shivon Zilis is a Canadian executive and venture capitalist, a true force in the world of groundbreaking technology. Her career path winds through some of the most ambitious companies of our time, leaving a significant mark at every turn.
Early Roots and Academic Excellence
Born on February 8, 1986, in Markham, Ontario, Zilis grew up in Canada. Her background includes a Canadian mother and an Indian father, who first arrived in Canada as an exchange student.
Her academic journey led her to the esteemed halls of Yale University. She graduated in 2008, earning not one, but two degrees: one in economics and another in philosophy—a unique blend that perhaps foreshadowed her multidisciplinary career.
But Zilis wasn't just an academic star; she was also a formidable athlete. As a goaltender for Yale's ice hockey team, she left a lasting legacy, becoming the school's all-time leader in goals-against average.
Forging a Path in Finance and Tech
After her Yale years, Zilis launched her professional life at IBM in New York. Here, she specialized in financial technologies, particularly those aimed at developing countries like Peru and Indonesia. This early global exposure provided a unique perspective on technological impact.
From 2012 to 2018, she pivoted to the fast-paced world of venture capital, becoming a founding investor and partner at Bloomberg Beta. Funded by Bloomberg L.P., this role allowed her to focus on what she termed 'machine intelligence'—identifying and nurturing nascent AI and data-driven startups.
Her keen eye for emerging tech and investment prowess quickly earned her significant recognition. In 2015, she was named to the prestigious Forbes 30 Under 30 list for venture capitalists, and was also honored among LinkedIn's 35 Under 35.
At the Forefront of Frontier Technology
Zilis's career continued its impressive ascent, taking her directly into the heart of revolutionary projects. From 2017 to 2019, she served as a project director at Tesla, Inc., contributing to both their ambitious Autopilot product and advanced chip design teams.
Her journey continued to Neuralink, the pioneering neurotechnology company, where she held the title of director of operations and special projects. It was through her impactful non-profit work as a board member at OpenAI, an artificial intelligence research organization, that she first crossed paths with Elon Musk.
Demonstrating her enduring influence in the tech investment landscape, Zilis joined the board of defense technology company Shield AI in September 2023. Interestingly, she had previously advised the company by writing their seed round term sheet way back in 2016, during her tenure at Bloomberg Beta.
A Public Personal Life
Beyond her extensive professional achievements, Shivon Zilis's personal life has drawn considerable media attention, particularly her relationship with prominent tech entrepreneur Elon Musk.
In November 2021, Zilis and Musk welcomed twins—a son and a daughter—into the world, conceived via in vitro fertilization. This news became public in July 2022 through court documents filed in Travis County, Texas.
The family continued to grow. Reports surfaced in June 2024 confirming the birth of their third child, followed by the announcement in February 2025 of a fourth child, another son, also conceived via IVF with Musk.
A poignant detail about their children's names includes the middle name 'Sekhar' for one of them, a clear tribute to the revered Nobel laureate Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar. This choice reflects a shared appreciation for scientific heritage.
Despite the often private nature of their lives, Zilis and Musk have occasionally made public appearances together, offering glimpses into their connection. One such instance was their attendance at White House Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino's wedding at Mar-a-Lago in February 2026.
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Shivon Zilis
Shivon Alice Zilis (born February 8, 1986) is a Canadian technology executive and venture capitalist.
Early life and education
Shivon Zilis
Shivon Zilis was born in Markham, Ontario, Canada, to Richard and Sharda Zilis. Her mother is of Indian origin, while her father, Richard, is Caucasian Canadian. Zilis graduated from Markham's Unionville High School. She attended Yale University, graduating in 2008 with degrees in economics and philosophy. As a goaltender on Yale's ice hockey team, she became the school's all-time leader in goals-against average.
Career
Shivon Zilis
After graduating from Yale, Zilis started her career at IBM in New York, working in financial technologies in developing countries, especially Peru and Indonesia. From 2012 to 2018, she was one of the founding investors and partner of Bloomberg Beta, funded by Bloomberg L.P., utilizing what she calls "machine intelligence".
From 2017 to 2019, Zilis served as a project director for Tesla, Inc.'s Autopilot product and chip design team.
Zilis served as director of operations and special projects at Neuralink. Zilis met Elon Musk through her non-profit work at OpenAI, where she served as a board member until 2023. Zillis's tenure on the board later was scrutinized in a lawsuit Musk filed against OpenAI. According to text messages that came out in discovery from OpenAI's lawyers, Zillis acted as an agent for Musk while simultaneously serving on OpenAI's board and being in a romantic relationship with Musk. She wrote that she was "keeping the info flowing" to Musk about internal goings-on at OpenAI.
Zilis joined the board of defense technology company Shield AI in September 2023. She had previously written the company's term sheet for a seed round in 2016 while she was at Bloomberg Beta.
Awards and honors
Shivon Zilis
In 2015, Zilis was listed on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list of venture capitalists. Zilis was named among LinkedIn's 35 Under 35.
Personal life
Shivon Zilis
In July 2022, court documents in Travis County, Texas, revealed that Zilis and Elon Musk had twin children, a son and a daughter, in November 2021. The twins were conceived via in vitro fertilization (IVF). According to a court petition to change the twins' names, Musk and Zilis listed the same address in Austin. Elon Musk had his second child with Grimes, a Canadian singer-songwriter, via surrogate, in December 2021, with Walter Isaacson's biography of Elon Musk stating Grimes did not know about Musk's children with Shivon Zilis.
In June 2024, it was reported that Shivon Zilis had a third child with Musk. It was later revealed that in September that year her partner Elon Musk was also having another child with influencer Ashley St. Clair.
On February 28, 2025, Zilis announced the birth of her fourth child, a son who was conceived via IVF with Musk. The middle name Sekhar was given to one of their children, after the Nobel laureate Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar. On February 1, 2026, Zilis and Musk attended White House Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino's wedding together at Mar-a-Lago.
In October 2026, Zilis announced that her relationship with Elon Musk had ended. She said the separation had occurred suddenly and expressed hope that they would remain friends and co-parents to their four children.