Who is Shivon Zilis? Meet Elon Musk’s partner with an Indian connection who joined him in meeting PM Modi

Presently serving as Neuralink’s director of operations and special projects, Zilis previously worked as a project director at Tesla from 2017 to 2019 (Image:X)

Tech billionaire Elon Musk’s partner Shivon Zilis accompanied him during a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Blair House in Washington. Musk’s three children were also in attendance.

“It was also a delight to meet Mr @elonmusk’s family and to talk about a wide range of subjects!" Modi wrote on X post his conversation with the Tesla CEO.

Zilis, a senior executive at Elon Musk’s brain-chip startup Neuralink, remained largely out of the spotlight until she was seen at Trump’s pre-inauguration dinner on January 19.

This marked her first major public appearance with Musk, who leads Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). In a widely shared photo from the high-profile event, Musk was seen interacting with Ivanka Trump as Zilis looks on.

Who is Shivon Zilis?

Shivon Zilis, 38, was born in Canada and is said to be a Yale University graduate. She has a multicultural heritage, with her mother, Sharda N, hailing from India and her father, Richard Zilis, from Canada, according to an NDTV report.

Presently serving as Neuralink’s director of operations and special projects, Zilis previously worked as a project director at Tesla from 2017 to 2019. She has also advised Sam Altman’s OpenAI, according to her LinkedIn profile.

Zilis was listed on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list of venture capitalists in 2015 and was also named among LinkedIn's 35 Under 35.

She started her career with IBM and then moved to Bloomberg Beta.

In 2021, Zilis and Musk welcomed twins, Azure and Strider. In 2024, they had a third child together.

Musk-Modi meet:

The high profile meeting between Elon Musk and PM Modi covered key topics, including technology, innovation, electric mobility, and India's expanding role in the global EV and space industries.

“It was an honor to meet,” Musk wrote in response to PM Modi’s post on X, expressing his appreciation for the meeting.

According to a statement from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), discussions also focused on strengthening India-US collaboration in cutting-edge technologies and innovation-driven industries.