Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has revealed that his partner Shivon Zilis is half-Indian. Appearing on Zerodha founder Nikhil Kamath’s “WTF is?” podcast, Musk also disclosed that one of his sons with Zilis has the middle name “Sekhar,” inspired by Indian-American physicist and Nobel laureate Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar. “I’m not sure if you know this, but my partner Shivon is half Indian,” he said. “One of my sons with her, his middle name is Sekhar after Chandrasekhar.” The billionaire further spoke about Zilis’s family background, upbringing and adoption.
Musk On Zilis’s Indian Heritage
Musk also shared some details about Zilis’s early life when Kamath asked where she grew up. “She grew up in Canada. She was given up for adoption when she was a baby. I think her father was like an exchange student at the university or something like that,” Musk said.
“I’m not sure the exact details, but you know it was kind of thing where I don’t know, she was given up for adoption. But she grew up in Canada,” he added.
Zilis joined Musk’s AI company Neuralink in 2017 and is currently Director of Operations and Special Projects. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Philosophy from Yale University.
Zilis has four children with Musk: twins Strider and Azure, daughter Arcadia and son Seldon Lycurgus.
Musk Praises Indians
Appearing on the latest episode of Kamath’s podcast, Musk also said that America has benefitted immensely from talented Indians.
“America has been an immense beneficiary of talent from India, but that seems to be changing now,” he said.
His remarks come at a time when the American dream for thousands of Indians is becoming uncertain due to increased US visa restrictions and policy unpredictability.