Shivon Zilis Net Worth: How Much Money Does She Worth?

In the world of tech and billion-dollar dreams, it’s pretty easy to get overshadowed by the likes of Elon Musk. The man is a human headline generator. But every now and then, a name manages to cut through the noise—not by seeking the spotlight but by being genuinely impressive. That’s where Shivon Zilis comes in. You might know her as the mother of Musk’s “secret” twins, but there’s a lot more to this Canadian-born AI researcher and venture capitalist than that tabloid-friendly headline.

So, let’s peel back the layers and get to know Shivon Zilis—her story, her work, and yeah, we’ll get to the twins, too.

A Maple Leaf Start: From Ontario to AI

Shivon Zilis was born on February 8, 1986, in Markham, Ontario, Canada, which makes her 38 years old as of 2024. Growing up in a multicultural household—her mother, Sharda, is of Punjabi Indian descent, and her father, Richard, is Caucasian Canadian—Shivon was introduced early on to the idea that different perspectives can coexist. Maybe that’s what set her on the path to exploring the intersection of technology and humanity.

She attended Unionville High School, where, by all accounts, she was the kind of overachiever that made you reconsider your life choices. After high school, she headed to Yale, not exactly a shocker given her drive, where she graduated in 2008 with a degree in Economics and Philosophy. Oh, and just to round things out, she was also the goalkeeper for Yale’s ice hockey team. Talk about range.

Shivon’s fascination with AI began when she read Ray Kurzweil’s The Age of Spiritual Machines during her college years. For most of us, college is when we’re still figuring out how to do laundry without turning our whites pink. For Shivon, it was the beginning of a career that would eventually land her at the helm of some of the most cutting-edge projects in artificial intelligence.

Climbing the AI Ladder

If you’re picturing Shivon as the type who’d lounge around post-college figuring things out—think again. She jumped straight into the tech world, quickly making a name for herself as a venture capitalist. By 2015, she was one of the founding members of Bloomberg Beta’s investment team, leading nine investments and earning a spot on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list.

Her work was all about predicting the future—spotting trends in machine intelligence and betting big on them. It wasn’t just about making money; it was about figuring out where AI was heading and how it could actually help people.

Shivon’s résumé reads like a tech junkie’s dream: she spent seven years at OpenAI as an advisor and board member, worked at Tesla as a project director, and is currently the Director of Operations and Special Projects at Neuralink. In every role, she’s been knee-deep in AI, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with machine learning and neural interfaces.

And no, she didn’t get these gigs because of her connection to Musk. If anything, their shared passion for AI and the future of humanity seems to be what drew them together in the first place.

The Neuralink Connection

Since 2017, Shivon has been steering the ship at Neuralink, a neurotechnology company that sounds straight out of a sci-fi novel. Her role? Director of Operations and Special Projects. In simpler terms, she’s the person who makes sure the crazy-sounding ideas about brain-computer interfaces don’t just stay ideas.

The goal of Neuralink is to develop implantable brain–machine interfaces, which could one day help people with paralysis control devices with their minds. For Shivon, it’s about more than just the tech—it’s about helping people live better lives. She’s been instrumental in guiding the company’s projects, focusing on making sure that the tech is not only groundbreaking but also practical and ethical.

That said, working at Neuralink isn’t all sunshine and brain waves. The company’s policies about relationships between superiors and subordinates came under scrutiny when the news of her twins with Musk broke. According to a Reuters report, Shivon told colleagues that the twins were conceived via in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and that she and Musk were never romantically involved. The company accepted the explanation, and Shivon kept her position—a testament to her professionalism and the respect she commands in the tech world.

The Twins: Strider and Azure

Okay, let’s get to the part you’re probably most curious about—the twins. In November 2021, Shivon and Elon became parents to two adorable kids: Strider Chandrasekhar and Azure. The names weren’t made public until American author Walter Isaacson revealed them in his biography of Musk, with their parents’ permission.

The way Shivon’s relationship with Musk was revealed was… less than subtle. The news hit like a tabloid bombshell, sparking debates about power dynamics, ethics, and, of course, Elon Musk’s ongoing mission to repopulate the Earth. But through all the noise, Shivon stayed silent, keeping the focus on her work and her kids.

Strider and Azure are being raised outside of the spotlight for now, which, given the world they were born into, is probably a good call. Whether they’ll grow up to be hockey-playing AI researchers or rocket-building entrepreneurs is anyone’s guess, but they’ve got some pretty impressive genes to pull from.

Shivon’s Net Worth: Brains Pay the Bills

Shivon’s net worth is estimated to be between $5 million and $15 million, depending on which source you trust. Not too shabby for someone who’s still in their 30s. Her wealth comes from her various roles as a tech executive, AI researcher, and venture capitalist. Basically, if it involves making smart bets on smart tech, Shivon’s there.

She’s also been a fellow and mentor at Creative Destruction Lab since 2015, helping guide the next generation of tech entrepreneurs. So, on top of all the brainy stuff, she’s also paying it forward.

So, Who Is Shivon Zilis, Really?

Shivon Zilis is a lot of things: a brilliant AI researcher, a venture capitalist with an eye for the future, a mom of twins with the world’s most headline-grabbing billionaire, and a woman who’s determined to leave her mark on the tech world.

She’s proof that you can be both fiercely intelligent and intensely private—that you can make waves in the AI world without making it all about you. Whether she’s guiding Neuralink’s next move or figuring out how to balance AI ethics and real-world applications, Shivon’s story is still being written.

One thing’s for sure: she’s not just “Elon Musk’s baby mama.” Not even close.