A former board member of OpenAI has testified in a federal court in Oakland, California, disclosing details about her personal relationship with billionaire Elon Musk, including his offer to donate sperm so she could have children.
The testimony was given by Shivon Zilis during ongoing proceedings related to Musk’s lawsuit challenging OpenAI’s shift from a non-profit research structure to a for-profit company model.
The case has drawn global attention due to its implications for artificial intelligence governance, corporate control, and the future of AI development.
Court Hears Details of Personal Arrangement
During hours of testimony, Zilis described how her relationship with Musk developed across both professional and personal dimensions while she worked within his broader technology ecosystem.
She told the court that Musk offered to donate sperm in 2020 after learning that she was considering becoming a mother.
“He was encouraging everyone around him at that time to have kids,” Zilis said in court, adding that she accepted the offer during a period when she was reassessing her long-term personal plans due to health concerns.
Zilis stated that she first met Musk in 2016 through her advisory role at OpenAI, shortly after the company’s founding.
She also confirmed that she had a brief romantic relationship with Musk years earlier but clarified that they were not romantically involved at the time of the 2020 arrangement.
Confidential Arrangement and Four Children
According to her testimony, the initial agreement included confidentiality regarding Musk’s paternity, and there was no expectation of a traditional parenting role at the outset.
Zilis further stated that Musk is now actively involved in the lives of their four children, and they spend several hours together each week.
She also told the court that she did not initially disclose Musk’s paternity of her twins, born in 2021, to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman due to a confidentiality agreement linked to Musk.
She later informed Altman when media reports were about to surface.
Despite the disclosure, both Altman and OpenAI president Greg Brockman reportedly supported her continued role within the organization.
Brockman was cited as saying: “We trusted her to keep the Elon conflict under control.”
Governance Dispute and Corporate Direction
Zilis served on the OpenAI board until March 2023, leaving around the same period Musk launched xAI, a competing artificial intelligence venture.
Court documents and internal communications presented during the trial show early debates within OpenAI about its governance structure.
According to filings, early discussions included proposals to transition OpenAI from a non-profit model to a hybrid or for-profit structure in order to secure larger investment funding.
Musk reportedly explored options to increase influence over the organisation’s direction, including proposals to integrate it into Tesla or restructure it under a mission-driven framework.
However, some founders, including Ilya Sutskever, were reportedly opposed to granting Musk expanded control.
Lawsuit Focuses on OpenAI’s Mission Shift
The ongoing lawsuit centres on whether OpenAI’s transition into a for-profit entity represents a departure from its original mission of building artificial general intelligence for the benefit of humanity.
Musk argues that the structural change undermines the founding principles of the organisation he helped establish.
Zilis’s testimony has become a significant element in the case due to her dual involvement as both an early advisor and board member at OpenAI, as well as her executive roles across Musk-linked ventures, including Neuralink.
The court proceedings are expected to continue as both sides present further evidence on governance decisions and internal communications within OpenAI.
