Wired ·

Musk v. Altman: OpenAI lawyers claim Shivon Zilis, a longtime Musk employee and mother to four of his children, acted as a covert liaison between him and OpenAI

Messages presented at trial reveal how Zilis, the mother of four of Musk's children, acted as an intermediary between him and OpenAI.

Musk v. Altman: OpenAI lawyers claim Shivon Zilis, a longtime Musk employee and mother to four of his children, acted as a covert liaison between him and OpenAI

Lead Source

More

Reuters: Reuters
Gizmodo: Gizmodo
The Ringer: The Ringer
PC Gamer: PC Gamer
Futurism: Futurism
Observer: Observer

Discussion

TechSnif Coverage

OpenAI Claims Musk Had Covert Liaison Feeding Him Info

Trial messages reveal Shivon Zilis allegedly served as a secret intermediary between Musk and OpenAI.

The Musk v. Altman trial just got spicier. OpenAI's lawyers allege that Shivon Zilis — longtime Musk employee and mother of four of his children — served as a covert liaison between Elon Musk and the AI company.

Messages presented at trial reportedly show Zilis acting as an intermediary, channeling communications between Musk and OpenAI. The revelation adds a deeply personal dimension to what's already one of tech's messiest legal battles.

Zilis has long been a figure in Musk's orbit, working across his ventures. Her dual connection — professional ties to Musk and apparent back-channel access to OpenAI — is now a central thread in the courtroom drama.

OpenAI's legal team is using the evidence to paint a picture of Musk maintaining covert influence over the organization he's been publicly warring with. The trial continues.