“There is a lot of loss"
Shivon Zilis, Elon Musk’s longtime partner and the mother of four of his children, has announced that the pair have split.
Zilis, who previously worked at Musk’s car company Tesla and now works at his technology firm Neuralink, shared the news in a lengthy post on X.
The 40-year-old, who is of Indian heritage, is the mother of four of Musk’s 14 known children. Their relationship dates back to 2016, although they largely kept details of their romance private.
Zilis began: “It’s hard to go from in love to let go in a week with no warning, but that’s just how it is sometimes.
“I feel happy that I got to show Elon how it feels to be deeply understood, nurtured, and peacefully loved with stability and gentleness.
“Given the tumultuous nature of his early life, his often tortured soul, and how hard he fights for humanity I wanted him to feel the deepest and most stable form of love this world can provide.
“My heart is full knowing I got to do that, and I hope it leaves a lasting good effect.”
Zilis said she and their children had provided Musk with a sense of stability away from the pressures of his public and professional life.
She continued: “We were always his safe space.
“A place where all of us were overjoyed to see him and one that was always full of happiness and love, not war, in contrast to his otherwise militant existence (a needed break from the battlefield where he could recharge his heart and soul before heading back out).
“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.”
Zilis said the breakup had brought “a lot of loss”, but added that their four children remained an important part of her life.
She and Musk welcomed twins in 2021, followed by a third child in 2024 and a fourth in 2025.
Shivon Zilis wrote: “There is a lot of loss, but luckily we created four beautiful little loves of my life.
“I do hope and pray he and I can be great friends and co-parents.
“I’m hurting, but care deeply about E and will always be cheering for his happiness. Godspeed, Elon; the world is lucky to have you.”
Elon Musk has not publicly commented on the breakup.
It’s hard to go from in love to let go in a week with no warning, but that’s just how it is sometimes ?????
I feel happy that I got to show Elon how it feels to be deeply understood, nurtured, and peacefully loved with stability and gentleness. Given the tumultuous nature of his early life, his often tortured soul, and how hard he fights for humanity I wanted him to feel the deepest and most stable form of love this world can provide. My heart is full knowing I got to do that, and I hope it leaves a lasting good effect.
We were always his safe space. A place where all of us were overjoyed to see him and one that was always full of happiness and love, not war, in contrast to his otherwise militant existence (a needed break from the battlefield where he could recharge his heart and soul before heading back out)
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.
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 ???????? 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.
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.
— Shivon Zilis (@shivon) October 2, 2026
Details of the relationship became more widely known earlier in 2026 during Musk’s legal battle with OpenAI.
Zilis told the court that she had a romantic “one-off” with Musk sometime after joining the technology company in 2016.
The court also heard that Musk “offered to make a donation” as part of a “platonic sperm donor” arrangement after Zilis had decided she wanted to become a single mother.
The arrangement later developed into a romantic partnership, according to evidence heard by the court.
Alongside her post announcing the split, Zilis shared a screenshot of a text exchange between herself and Musk from late September.
Zilis texted Musk: “It was really wonderful to see you for breakfast. Love you very much.”
Musk responded on September 24: “Love you too.”
He then told Zilis that he had not realised he could have invited her to a White House dinner held for Chinese President Xi Jinping the previous week, adding that he would have invited her had he known.
Responding with a heart emoji, Zilis replied: “Aw, that means so much to me. Thank you.”
