Who’s the woman next to PM Modi, Musk? Know all about Shivon Zilis with Indian background

Tech billionaire Elon Musk, who met PM Narendra Modi in Washington on Thursday, was accompanied by his partner Shivon Zilis along with their twin children Azure and Strider and his son X from his previous relationship with musician Grimes. The meeting took place at Blair House, where Musk and PM Modi discussed key issues related to technology, innovation, and space exploration.

Who is Shivon Zilis?

Shivon Zilis, 39, was born in Canada and is reportedly a graduate of Yale University. She has Indian roots through her mother, Sharda N, while her father, Richard Zilis, is Canadian.

Zilis serves as the director of operations and special projects at Neuralink, Musk’s brain-chip startup. She previously worked as a project director at Tesla between 2017 and 2019 and has been an adviser to Sam Altman’s OpenAI. Additionally, she was a founding member of Bloomberg Beta’s investment team, where she played a significant role in multiple investments.

Zilis was named in Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list of venture capitalists in 2015, and was also featured in LinkedIn’s 35 Under 35.

Relationship with Musk

Although Musk and Zilis have never publicly confirmed their relationship, reports suggest that the two share a close bond. They welcomed twins, Azure and Strider, in 2021, the same year Musk had his second child with Grimes. In 2024, the couple had a third child together. It is reported that Zilis has moved into his Texas compound, which he built for his 11 children.

Zilis has largely stayed out of the public eye but has made notable appearances alongside Musk in recent months. In November 2024, she was seen with him at a gala held at President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, staying in the background while Musk posed for photos with their daughter Azure.