Mon Dec 01 02:40:00 UTC 2025: ## Elon Musk Reveals Partner Shivon Zilis’ Indian Heritage, Honors Nobel Laureate with Son’s Name

AUSTIN, TX – Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has revealed that his partner, Neuralink executive Shivon Zilis, has Indian heritage. Speaking on the “People by WTF” podcast hosted by Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath, Musk shared details about Zilis’ background and revealed that one of their sons carries the middle name “Sekhar” in honor of the late Indian-American astrophysicist and Nobel laureate, Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar.

“I’m not sure if you know this, but my partner Shivon is half Indian,” Musk stated on the podcast. “One of my sons with her, his middle name is Sekhar after Chandrasekhar.”

Chandrasekhar, who shared the 1983 Nobel Prize in Physics, was recognized for his groundbreaking theoretical work on the structure and evolution of stars.

While Zilis did not grow up in India, Musk explained that her connection to the country is ancestral. “She grew up in Canada. She was given up for adoption when she was a baby. I think her father was like an exchange student at the university or something like that,” Musk said. He admitted he did not know all the details of her biological family history.

Zilis, a long-time tech and artificial intelligence professional, joined Neuralink in 2017 and currently serves as the company’s director of operations and special projects. Before Neuralink, she studied economics and philosophy at Yale University and worked at IBM, Bloomberg, and OpenAI, where she was the youngest member of the board of directors.

Musk and Zilis are reported to have quietly welcomed twins in 2021, followed by a daughter in February 2024 and a fourth child whose birth was later confirmed.

In the same podcast episode, Musk also highlighted the significant contributions of Indian professionals to the United States, stating, “I think America has benefited immensely from talented Indians that have come to America.” His comments come at a time when tightening US visa norms and unpredictable policy changes are creating challenges for many Indians seeking the American dream.

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