Elon Musk, CEO of Neuralink, has had another child with Shivon Zilis, the company’s director of special projects, according to a Bloomberg report. This is Musk’s third child with Zilis, following the twins they had together in 2021.
The news came to light through court documents showing Musk’s petition to change the twins’ names to include both his and Zilis’s last names. The birth of this new child adds to Musk’s already large family, though the total number of his children remains unclear.
Musk’s publicly known children number 11: five with his first wife, Justine Musk, three with musician Grimes, and now three with Zilis. His growing family reflects his longstanding public concern about declining birth rates, a topic he has often discussed.
Musk has been vocal about his belief that declining birth rates pose a significant threat to civilization, and he has encouraged others to have more children to counteract this trend.
The revelation of Musk’s latest child with Zilis comes shortly after reports surfaced about his interactions with female employees at SpaceX, another of his companies.
The Wall Street Journal reported on “boundary-blurring relationships” Musk had with female employees, including allegations from a former SpaceX employee who claimed Musk asked her to have his babies multiple times. After refusing his advances, she was reportedly denied a raise and later left the company with a substantial exit package.
Musk’s procreation efforts are part of a broader ideology embraced by some tech moguls, who believe increasing their progeny can help address global demographic challenges.
This ideology suggests that by having more children, particularly those who may inherit favorable traits, these figures can contribute to solving the issue of declining birth rates and potentially improve the human gene pool.
Musk’s personal life and family planning are intertwined with his public stance on population issues. His actions reflect his belief in addressing what he sees as a critical global threat, even as they raise questions about the boundaries between personal relationships and professional conduct within his companies.