Shivon Zilis, longtime partner of billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk and mother of four of his children, has opened up about their reported breakup, saying she loved him “more than life itself.”
Zilis, a technology executive who works at Neuralink, disclosed the split in an emotional post on X on Friday, October 2, 2026, describing the end of their relationship as sudden and unexpected.
“It’s hard to go from in love to let go in a week with no warning, but that’s just how it is sometimes,” she wrote.
The revelation came after reports that Musk had unfollowed Zilis on X. She also shared screenshots of recent messages between them, indicating that the separation came shortly after affectionate exchanges. Musk had not publicly responded to the breakup announcement as of the time of reporting.
Despite the pain of the breakup, Zilis struck a reflective tone, saying she was grateful for the years she spent with Musk and for the family they built together.
She said she was happy to have provided Musk with what she described as a stable, peaceful and loving environment away from the pressures surrounding his public and professional life.
According to Zilis, their home had become a safe space where Musk and the children could experience happiness, love and calm.
She said she would miss him deeply and valued the opportunity to bring happiness into his life.
Reflecting on the relationship, Zilis said Musk had profoundly influenced her life and that the breakup left her dealing with a significant sense of loss.
“I’ve loved him more than life itself,” she wrote, adding that Musk had given her what she described as “100 lifetimes of knowledge” and a deeper sense of meaning.
However, she said her four children remained her greatest source of joy.
The couple share twins Strider and Azure, born in 2021, daughter Arcadia, born in 2024, and son Seldon Lycurgus, whose birth was announced in 2025.
Zilis also expressed hope that she and Musk could remain friends and continue to co-parent their children peacefully.
“I do hope and pray he and I can be great friends and coparents,” she said.
While acknowledging that she was hurting, Zilis said she still cared deeply about Musk and would continue to wish him well.
“I’m hurting, but care deeply about E and will always be cheering for his happiness,” she wrote.
Zilis and Musk were not married. Their relationship had largely remained private, although the pair had worked together professionally and shared a family. Zilis has held roles in the technology and artificial intelligence sectors, including work with Musk-linked companies and a previous position on the OpenAI board.
As of October 2, Musk had not publicly commented on the reported breakup.
