Shivon Zilis shared affectionate texts from Elon Musk dated just last week. On Friday, the mother of four of his children announced their relationship was over.
The Neuralink executive said the billionaire ended things “with no warning,” writing in a lengthy X post that “it’s hard to go from in love to let go in a week.”
The messages she posted alongside her account of the breakup showed a warmer exchange Sept. 24.
“It was really wonderful to see you for breakfast. Love you very much,” Zilis wrote to Musk.
“Love you too. I didn’t realize that this Xi dinner included significant other (Beijing one did not) or I would have invited you,” Musk replied, referring to the White House state dinner for Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Zilis responded: “Aw, that means so much to me. Thank you.”
By Friday, Zilis, 40, was publicly mourning the relationship while expressing hope that the two could remain close as parents.
“I’ve loved him more than life itself and he’s taught me 100 lifetimes of knowledge and made my cup overflow with life meaning, so there is a lot of loss, but luckily we created four beautiful little loves of my life,” she wrote.
“I am so beyond grateful for our children and they make every single day the best day of my life! I do hope and pray he and I can be great friends and coparents.”
Musk, 55, had not publicly addressed the split.
The announcement followed several days of clues on social media. Zilis posted “New day, new life” on Sept. 28. On Friday, Big Tech Alert, an account that monitors technology executives’ online activity, reported that Musk had unfollowed her on X.
Hours later, Zilis described herself as “Hurting” and Musk as a “tortured soul,” offering an unusually personal look at a relationship the pair had long kept largely private.
“I feel happy that I got to show Elon how it feels to be deeply understood, nurtured, and peacefully loved with stability and gentleness,” she wrote.
“I loved being that counterbalancing place of safety, sense of calm, and love – and delighted in bringing a smile back to his face when he was down. I will miss him dearly.”
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Their breakup comes months after Zilis testified in Musk’s case against OpenAI, revealing details about how their relationship began and their decision to have children.
The Ontario-born Yale graduate met Musk through OpenAI, the artificial intelligence company he co-founded in 2015. She told jurors their initial encounter was “a one-off” at a corporate off-site event, with a romantic relationship developing around 2016.
When Zilis decided to become a single mother, she testified, Musk “offered to make a donation” as a platonic sperm donor near the end of 2020.
Their twins, Strider and Azure, were born through in vitro fertilization in November 2021. News of their third child, Arcadia, became public in June 2024. Their son Seldon Lycurgus followed in February 2025.
Zilis is one of four women with whom Musk has had 14 children.
During her testimony, she said she lived in an Austin, Texas, home where Musk frequently stayed while visiting their children. Musk referred to her as his “partner” when he testified.
The two also made a public appearance together in February, holding hands as they arrived at the wedding of White House deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino at President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate.
Their professional ties stretch back years. Zilis worked as a project director on Tesla’s Autopilot team from 2017 to 2019 before becoming director of operations and special projects at Neuralink, Musk’s brain implant company.
It was not immediately clear whether the breakup would affect her professional roles.
Zilis closed her announcement with a message of support for Musk.
“I’m hurting, but care deeply about E and will always be cheering for his happiness. God speed, Elon, the world is lucky to have you.”
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[ H/T Trending Politics ]
