Elon Musk’s $150 billion lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft has brought to light private communications that reveal the AI giant’s origins. Central to the ongoing court battle is the testimony of Shivon Zilis, a former OpenAI board member and the mother of Musk’s four children.
Through leaked text messages and detailed court filings, Zilis has provided a rare behind-the-scenes look at the tech industry’s most high-profile dispute. Zilis’s records paint a complex picture of competing interests and shifting loyalties, from Musk’s aggressive tactics to push top AI talent for Tesla to the board’s deep concerns about ChatGPT’s explosive launch.
Here are the key revelations from her testimony:
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Shivon Zilis’ testimony revealed that in 2018, Elon Musk wanted her to stay close and friendly with OpenAI while actively trying to acquire talent for Tesla. She also said Musk had previously considered recruiting Sam Altman to Tesla’s board.
Shivon Zilis testified that she resigned from OpenAI’s board because Elon Musk, the father of her children, launched a competitive effort and began recruiting from OpenAI. She felt there was nothing else she could do in this situation.
Shivon Zilis noted internal turmoil at OpenAI prior to the launch of ChatGPT, stating that the board “expressed extreme concern” about its release without proper communication with the board. She also mentioned that she had raised concerns about Sam Altman internally on several occasions.
Shivon Zilis testified that her historical role at OpenAI was to facilitate communication between all major parties to ensure maximum alignment. She also stated that Sam Altman invited her to join the board in 2020, which she accepted because she wanted AI to do well for humanity.
Shivon Zilis vehemently denied the launch to Elon Musk when he served on OpenAI’s board of directors. She also said that in 2018, Musk answered her question about being around OpenAI by saying that they would recruit some people from there for Tesla.
Read also | Shivon Zilis testifies in OpenAI trial: What is her relationship with Elon Musk?
“You prefer me to stay close…?”
According to court filings cited by The Guardian, Shivon Zilis sent Musk a text message in 2018: “Would you rather I stay close and friendly with OpenAI to keep the information flowing, or start separating? The Trust game is about to get tricky, so any guidance on how to get it right would be appreciated.”
“Close and friendly, but we will actively try to move three or four people from OpenAI to Tesla. More than that will join over time, but we will not be actively recruiting,” Musk responded, according to The Guardian report.
‘My role is…’
According to a report by The Guardian, when Musk left OpenAI’s board in February 2018, Zilis said, “They were so bad at talking to each other.”
She added: “My role historically has been to facilitate communication between all the major parties to achieve maximum alignment between them.”
Zilis also testified that Sam Altman later invited her to join the board in 2020, and she accepted because she had “spent the last decade of my life wanting to make artificial intelligence work well for humanity.” When asked if she sent information to Musk during her time on the board, she vehemently denied it, replying: “Funnel? Absolutely not.”
Read also | Elon Musk’s birthday: Shivon Zilis wishes the SpaceX CEO with a cute Instagram post
“When the father of your children…”
According to CNN, Zilis told a friend in text messages that she had to resign from the board because Musk’s “efforts had become well known.”
“When the father of your children starts a competitive effort and recruits from OpenAI, there’s nothing you can do,” Zilis wrote at the time in messages entered into evidence.
Tesla seat for Altman?
At one point, Elon Musk considered recruiting Sam Altman to serve on Tesla Inc.’s board, jurors said. According to Bloomberg, Shivon Zilis testified “there was a time when it was on the table” in late 2017.
A Bloomberg report said Zilis was shown a 2017 email she wrote about an event to announce the creation of an artificial intelligence lab at Tesla — an initiative she said was under consideration but “never got legs.”
The report said the email contained an FAQ about the event: “Those who want to work on large-scale AI research are not currently thinking about Tesla. Elon wants to change that by announcing his intention to create a world-class AI lab.”
“In early 2018, Mr. Musk was still trying to convince his co-founders to join Tesla and do AGI there, right?” Eddy asked, referring to the artificial general intelligence.
“That would be an idea on the table,” Zilis said. “I don’t remember if it was in 2017 as well. I just don’t remember the exact time frame.
Read also | Elon Musk and Shivon Zilis Welcome Fourth Child: A Look at Their Relationship History
ChatGPT release concerns
According to a Reuters report, Shivon Zilis noted that there was internal turmoil as the company prepared for the main launch of the ChatGPT chatbot.
She said the board “expressed extreme concern” over the release of ChatGPT “without any semblance of board communication.”
Asked if she had raised concerns about Altman internally, Zilis said “there have been a few instances.”
Why does Shivon Zilis matter?
Shivon Zilis has been instrumental in Musk’s dealings with OpenAI since the company’s early years, including discussions in 2017 about potentially creating a for-profit structure to fund AI development.
Elon Musk has four children with Zilis – twins Strider and Azure, daughter Arcadia and son Seldon Lycurgus. Seldon, Musk’s 13th child, was born in March 2025.
During his testimony last week, Elon Musk described Shivon Zilis as the mother of his children and said they live together. The pair have also recently been spotted holding hands and appearing at events together, including dinners with US President Donald Trump at the White House and Mar-a-Lago.
