In a surprising revelation during an appearance on Zerodha founder Nikhil Kamath's "WTF is?" podcast, Elon Musk disclosed that his partner, Shivon Zilis, is half-Indian. The billionaire also shared that one of his sons with Zilis has the middle name "Sekhar," which is inspired by the Indian-American physicist and Nobel laureate Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar.
Musk's comment, "You know, my partner Shivon she is half Indian. I do not know if you know that," came as a surprise to Kamath, who responded that he was unaware. Musk then added, "Yes and one of my sons with her is, middle name is Sekhar, after Nobel laureate Chandra Sekhar".
When Kamath inquired whether Zilis had lived in India, Musk clarified, "No, she grew up in Canada". He further explained that Zilis was adopted as a baby and that her father was likely an exchange student at a university. "So I think her father was like an exchange student at the university or something like that. I am not sure of the exact details, but, you know, it was the kind of thing where, I do not know, she was given up for adoption. Yeah, but she grew up in Canada," Musk elaborated. Other sources indicate that Zilis's mother is Punjabi.
Shivon Zilis, a senior executive at Neuralink, has maintained a close professional relationship with Musk for several years. She has a distinguished background, holding degrees in economics and philosophy from Yale University. Before joining Neuralink in 2017, she held key roles at OpenAI and Tesla, and contributed to the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute and the Vector Institute. Zilis was also featured in Forbes' 30 Under 30 (2015) for venture capital and named in LinkedIn's 35 Under 35 list.
The couple shares four children: Strider, Azure, Arcadia, and Seldon Lycurgu. The revelation about their son's middle name being Sekhar, a tribute to Nobel laureate Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, highlights a personal connection to India. Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1983 for his theoretical work on the physical processes involved in the structure and evolution of stars.
Musk has often spoken about the declining birth rates and his belief that the world needs more children. During the podcast, when Kamath shared that he doesn't have kids, Musk responded, "Well, it is maybe you should," and added, "You will not regret it". Musk described parenting as a unique experience, stating, "Well, I mean, you have got this little creature that loves you, and you love this little creature. And I do not know, you kind of see the world through their eyes as they grow up, and their conscious awareness increases".
The podcast also touched on the topic of immigration and the impact of Indian talent on the United States. Musk acknowledged the misuse of the H-1B visa program but emphasized that it shouldn't be shut down, as America has greatly benefited from talented individuals from India.
