Quick Info
| Profession | Venture Capitalist, AI Researcher |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Date of Birth | 08/02/1986 |
| Age | 40 years |
| Birthplace | Markham, Ontario, Canada |
Latest News about Shivon Zilis
06/05/2026
Shivon Zilis testified in Elon Musk's lawsuit against OpenAI, appearing as a key witness because of her prior role at OpenAI and her relationship with Musk. Reporting on the hearing described her as important to the case because she had served on OpenAI's board and was presented in court as a possible bridge between Musk and the company after he left it.
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Bio/Wiki
| Full Name | Shivon Alice Zilis |
|---|
Physical Stats & More
| Height | 5' 6" (167 cm) |
|---|---|
| Eye Color | Blue |
| Hair Color | Dark Brown |
Educational Qualification(s)
| School | Unionville High School, Markham |
|---|---|
| College/University | Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut |
| Degree | BA in Economics and Philosophy (2008) |
| Sports | Goalkeeper for Yale Bulldogs women's ice hockey team |
Relationships & More
| Affairs/Boyfriends | Elon Musk | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Children | Four children with Elon Musk: twins Strider Sekhar Sirius and Azure (born November 2021), Arcadia, and Seldon Lycurgus (third child born 2024) | ||||
| Parents |
| ||||
| Siblings | Only child | ||||
| Partner | Elon Musk |
Family
| Children | Four children with Elon Musk: twins Strider Sekhar Sirius and Azure (born November 2021), Arcadia, and Seldon Lycurgus (third child born 2024) |
|---|---|
| Father | Richard Zilis |
| Mother | Sharda Zilis |
| Siblings | Only child |
Career
| Current Position | Director of Operations and Special Projects at Neuralink |
|---|---|
| Founding | Founder of Bloomberg Beta (2011) |
| Board Member | Global Community Charter School (2012), C100 (2014), Vector Institute, Toronto, Canada, Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute (Amii), Alberta, Canada, Shield AI (2023) |
| Fellow | Creative Destruction Lab |
| Advisor | OpenAI (2016), Board Member (2020) |
| Previous Work | IBM (Thought Leadership Analyst), Inc.'s Autopilot product and chip design team of Tesla, Advised startups |
| Previous Positions | Founding Partner at Bloomberg Beta (2012-2018), Thought Leadership Analyst at IBM |
| Board Memberships | Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence, Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute (Amii), Shield AI (joined 2023), C100 |
| Advisory Roles | OpenAI (Board Member 2016-2023, stepped down March 2023), Creative Destruction Lab (Founding Fellow since 2015) |
| Key Achievements | Forbes 30 Under 30 in Venture Capital (2015), Led early-stage investments in machine learning and AI at Bloomberg Beta, Advised deep tech and AI startups through Creative Destruction Lab |
Social Media
| https://x.com/shivon |
Some Lesser Known Facts
| 1. Shivon Zilis has a background of Punjabi Indian and Canadian descent. | |
| 2. Excelled in ice hockey and received scholarships for sports and academics to attend Yale University. | |
| 3. Participated in ice hockey and played musical instruments like drums and guitar while studying at Yale. | |
| 4. Found inspiration in works by Ray Kurzweil and the band Our Lady Peace regarding AI. | |
| 5. Before moving into startups, was involved in micro-finance projects at IBM. | |
| 6. Co-founded Bloomberg Beta back in 2011. | |
| 7. An active member in multiple tech organizations and has held positions on several boards. | |
| 8. Provided advice and joined organizations such as OpenAI and Neuralink. | |
| 9. Recognized in Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2015. | |
| 10. Met Elon Musk at OpenAI in 2016 and collaborated on raising children together. | |
| 11. Holds dual citizenship in Canada and the United States. | |
| 12. Stepped down from the OpenAI board in March 2023. | |
| 13. Shivon Zilis has Punjabi Indian and Canadian descent. | |
| 14. Received both academic and athletic scholarships to attend Yale University. | |
| 15. Played ice hockey as goalkeeper and was noted for one of the best save percentages in Yale history. | |
| 16. Worked on microfinance projects in developing countries including Peru and Indonesia during her IBM tenure. | |
| 17. Influenced by philosophers Friedrich Nietzsche and David Hume. | |
| 18. Met Elon Musk through her work at OpenAI in 2016. | |
| 19. Recognized as a key figure in AI and machine learning investment and development. | |
| 20. Serves as an advisor to multiple deep tech and AI-focused organizations. |