Google's co-founder Sergey Brin was in June reported to have filed for divorce from his wife Nicole Shanahan. Now, it has emerged the reason was her affair with Elon Musk -- Brin's longtime friend.
The Wall Street Journal reported on July 25 that Elon Musk's affair with Nicole Shanahan began in December last year, when she was separated from her husband but still living with him. The report cited unidentified people with knowledge of the matter.
After learning about the affair, Brin, in January, sought divorce from Shanahan.
Shanahan is a philanthropist and attorney. She is a research fellow at CodeX, the Stanford Center for Legal Informatics, according to her LinkedIn profile.
She is also the founder of ClearAccessIP -- a firm that works with patent owners, and Bio Echa-- a private foundation that invests in criminal justice reform, reproductive longevity and sustainability.
Shanahan belongs to a family of Chinese immigrants. She has a Bachelor's degree in Asian studies and Mandarin from the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington.
She also studied Chinese law and intellectual property trade in Singapore.
Shanahan has sought over $1 billion settlement from Brin, whose net worth is estimated to be $95 billion. He is among the 10 richest people in the world.
The couple have a three-year-old daughter. WSJ reported that there were tensions between them over childcare.
Meanwhile, Musk has denied having an affair with Shanahan. In his response to the WSJ report, the Tesla CEO said said he had met her only twice in three years with other people around. "Nothing romantic," he added.
"The character assassination attacks have reached a new level this year, but the articles are all nothing-burgers,'' Musk continued. " I work crazy hours, so there just isn’t much time for shenanigans."
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
