In a surprising revelation that has captured Indian audiences, tech billionaire Elon Musk disclosed that his partner Shivon Zilis, Neuralink's operations director, has Indian heritage. During an appearance on Nikhil Kamath's podcast 'People by WTF,' Musk shared personal details that created an unexpected connection to India.
The Indian Connection Revealed
Entrepreneur Nikhil Kamath experienced multiple surprises during his conversation with Musk. First came the revelation that Shivon Zilis, Musk's partner and mother of four of his children, is half-Indian. The Neuralink director's background remained largely unknown until this candid discussion.
Musk then delivered another surprise that delighted Indian science enthusiasts worldwide. He disclosed that one of his sons with Zilis has the middle name 'Sekhar' in honor of the legendary Indian-American astrophysicist Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar. "One of my sons with her is, his middle name is Sekhar, after Chandrasekhar," Musk confirmed during the podcast.
Shivon Zilis's Background and Family Details
Despite her Indian roots, Musk revealed that Zilis has never visited India. Her connection to the country comes through her biological father, who Musk described as "an exchange student at the university, or something like that." The exact circumstances remain unclear, but Musk explained that Zilis was given up for adoption as a baby and grew up in Canada.
The couple shares four children together: twins named Strider and Azure, a daughter called Arcadia, and a son named Seldon Lycurgus. It's one of these children who carries the middle name Sekhar as tribute to the renowned scientist.
Who Was Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar?
The namesake of Musk's child, Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, remains one of the most celebrated figures in astrophysics. Born in India and later becoming a naturalized American citizen, Chandrasekhar received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1983 for his groundbreaking theoretical work on stellar structure and evolution.
His most famous contribution, the Chandrasekhar limit, established the maximum mass of a stable white dwarf star. This fundamental discovery in astrophysics continues to influence stellar research decades later. The scientist's legacy makes Musk's tribute particularly meaningful for the scientific community and Indian diaspora.
The revelation highlights how Indian scientific excellence continues to inspire global innovators, while also showcasing the increasingly diverse personal backgrounds of tech industry leaders. Musk's acknowledgment of Chandrasekhar's contributions serves as recognition of India's significant role in advancing global scientific knowledge.
