Tesla boss Elon Musk and Google co-founder Sergey Brin have been longtime friends. When Tesla was struggling during the financial crisis of 2008, Brin gave Musk $500,000, according to a Wall Street Journal report.
Forward to 2015, Musk gifted Brin one of the first all-electric SUVs manufactured by Tesla.
Musk also regularly stayed at Brin's Silicon Valley home.
But according to a report, the friendship has now become fractured by Musk's alleged affair with Brin's wife Nicole Shanahan.
Citing sources familiar with the matter, The Wall Street Journal reported that Musk began an affair with Shanahan in December last year, when she was separated from her husband but still living with him.
Brin filed from divorce from Shanahan weeks after learning about the affair.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Brin stopped speaking to Musk regularly and asked his advisors to sell off the investments he had in Musk’s companies.
Musk is reported to have knelt and begged for Brin's forgiveness at a party.
But on Twitter, he refuted the report published by WSJ. He described the article as "total bullshit".
"Sergey and I are friends and were at a party together last night," he tweeted on July 25. "I’ve only seen Nicole twice in three years, both times with many other people around. Nothing romantic."
"The character assassination attacks have reached a new level this year, but the articles are all nothing-burgers,'' the Tesla boss added. " I work crazy hours, so there just isn’t much time for shenanigans. None of the key people involved in these alleged wrongdoings were even interviewed!"
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