As the first week of the Musk v. Altman trial wraps up, one individual has emerged as vital in managing communications and personalities during OpenAI’s early days: Shivon Zilis. A long-time associate of Musk and mother of four of his kids, Zilis became an adviser to OpenAI in 2016, later sitting on its nonprofit board from 2020 to 2023, and has also held executive roles at Musk’s other companies, Neuralink and Tesla.
In court, Musk referred to Zilis as a “chief of staff,” “close adviser,” and noted that “we live together, and she’s the mother of four of my children,” although Zilis mentioned in a deposition that Musk is more like a regular guest. Last September, she told OpenAI’s attorneys that she and Musk started their romantic relationship around 2016 after she began advising OpenAI. They welcomed their first two children in 2021.
OpenAI’s lawyers claim that Zilis has acted as a clandestine link between OpenAI and Musk, even after he departed the board in February 2018. In a text message to Musk on February 16, 2018, Zilis inquired whether she should “stay close and friendly to OpenAI to keep info flowing,” to which Musk responded, “Close and friendly, but we are going to actively try to move three or four people from OpenAI to Tesla.”
On the witness stand, Musk expressed his desire to stay informed of developments. During the same conversation, Musk voiced skepticism about OpenAI’s future if he concentrated on Tesla AI. Zilis concurred, citing concerns regarding Demis Hassabis of Google DeepMind. She emphasized the necessity of exerting influence over Hassabis due to the potential dangers of AI advancement.
Two months later, in an April 23, 2018 email, Zilis updated Musk on OpenAI’s fundraising and a new AI initiative. She indicated a shift of her focus more towards Neuralink and Tesla but was willing to reallocate her attention based on Musk’s desires.
Previously, in the summer of 2017, Musk attempted to assert control during discussions about OpenAI’s corporate framework. In an August 28, 2017 email, Zilis communicated about her meeting with OpenAI’s leadership concerning equity distribution. Musk replied, “This is very annoying. Please encourage them to go start a company. I’ve had enough.”