Musk reveals son is named Sekhar after Nobel-winning Indian-American astrophysicist
What's the story
In a recent episode of the podcast "People by WTF," hosted by Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk revealed that his partner Shivon Zilis has Indian roots. "I'm not sure if you know this, but my partner Shivon is half Indian," Musk said on the show. He said one of their son's middle names is Sekhar, after Nobel Prize-winning Indian-American astrophysicist Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar.
Heritage details
Zilis's Indian roots and her upbringing
When Kamath asked if his partner had ever lived in India, Musk explained that Zilis's connection to India is ancestral, not geographical. "She grew up in Canada. She was given up for adoption when she was a baby," he said. He added that her father might have been an exchange student at a university but didn't know all the details of her biological family.
Parenthood insights
Musk's views on parenthood and Indian professionals
Musk also spoke about his views on parenthood during the podcast. He said having kids allows one to see the world through their eyes as they grow up. "You have...this little creature that loves you, and you love this little creature," he said. At one point, when Kamath shared that he doesn't have kids, Musk responded with, "Well...maybe you should," encouraging the Zerodha co-founder to consider starting a family. Kamath replied, "A lot of people tell me I should."
Family expansion
Musk's growing family and Zilis's special status
Musk and Zilis welcomed twins Strider and Azure in 2021. A report by The Wall Street Journal said Zilis enjoys a "special status" in Musk's inner circle. She is described as the "most prominent of Musk's mothers." Zilis is a director of operations and special projects at Neuralink, the neurotechnology company co-founded by Musk. According to USA Today, she grew up in Ontario and studied economics and philosophy at Yale University, where she also played ice hockey as a goalie.