Shivon Zilis is one of the rising stars in the IT industry. She was born on Feb 08, 1986 in Ontario, Canada. She is a famous Canadian director of Neuralink, artificial intelligence expert and a venture capitalist. She had a degree in philosophy and economics from Yale University. She gained popularity by working with Elon Musk at Neuralink and OpenAI. Her hard work is mainly focused on innovation, machine learning, and the impact of AI on society.
In this article, we will explore who Shivon Zilis is, and more about her husband, age, net worth, education, career etc. So, read on to get to know about her achievements and accomplishments.
Here’s her profile summary.
Full Name | Shivon Alice Zilis |
Gender | Female |
Date of Birth | 8 February 1986 |
Age | 39 Years ( As of 2025) |
Horoscope | Aquarius |
Birthplace | Markham, Ontario, Canada |
Country | Canada |
Father | Richard Zilis |
Mother | Sharda N. |
Nationality | Canadian |
Profession | Director of Neuralink, AI researcher, |
Religion | Christianity |
Height (Feet/Centimeters) | 5’6’’ / 168 |
Weight | 55 kg |
Net Worth | $5 million – $10 million |
Category | Business People & Entrepreneurs |
Early Life
Shivon Zilis was born in Markham, Ontario, Canada. She has Canadian nationality and her parents are Sharda N. and Richard Zilis. Her mother is a Punjabi Indian and she migrated to Canada. Her father was Richard Zilis, and he’s a Caucasian Canadian. She is the only single child of her parents. She was born in a family which belongs to a technical background. So, from a very early age, she had curiosity and passion for technology.
Education
Shivon Zilis got her early education from Unionville High School in Markham, Ontario. Then, she went to Yale University and completed her graduation in economics and philosophy. At Yale University, she also participated in the ice hockey team, and she was one of the best students with best save percentages.
She used to love music and also got involved in playing guitar and drums. After completing her graduation, she started a job at IBM and spent three years focusing on financial technologies.
In her college life, she started taking interest in AI after reading “The Age of Spiritual Machines” which was written by “Ray Kurzweil”. This book becomes a piece of inspiration for her to learn more about technology and the future of AI.
Family
Talking about her family, her father is Richard Zilis and her mother is Sharda Zilis. Her mother belongs to Punjabi Indian and Canadian ancestry. One of her parents was employed by the federal government. At Yale University, Zilis received athletic and academic financial aid and got linked with Friedrich Nietzsche and David Hume as philosophers.
Her partner was Elon Musk and they had twins in November 2021. She faced too much criticism but in 2020 she gave the statement that Elon Musk is the person she admires the most. According to court documents, Elon Musk and Zilis registered the twins’ names using the same Austin address.
Where did Shivon Zilis work?
Shivon Zilis has built a strong career in artificial intelligence. Since 2015, she has been a fellow and mentor at Creative Destruction Lab. She worked with OpenAI for seven years as an advisor and board member. She also spent two years as a project director at Tesla.
She was also a founding member of Bloomberg Beta’s investment team and she was named one of Forbes 30 Under 30 for her work as a venture capitalist. Shivon also co-hosted an annual conference at the University of Toronto.
Shivon Zilis Net Worth
Her estimated net worth lies between $5 to $10 million. Her financial success shows her strong influence in the tech world. She has made smart investments in AI-driven startups that have made her a key figure in both AI and finance.
Here are her achievements:
- She was listed in Forbes 30 under 30 in 2015.
- She was listed in LinkedIn 35 under 35.
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Controversy
According to a Reuters report, Shivon Zilis and Elon Musk were never a couple. Five of her colleagues said they were not romantically involved. Zilis allegedly told them she had their twins through IVF. But neither she nor Musk have confirmed this.
However, the news of their children caused controversy. Many people questioned their work relationship. Zilis reported directly to Musk at Neuralink. Some felt this created an unfair power dynamic.