'Can't Possibly Think of Genes I Would Prefer More' — Elon Musk, Father of 12, Swayed His Neuralink Executive To Have Kids With Him Over A Donor

Elon Musk, the wealthiest man in the world and CEO of Tesla, is known for his ambitious plans to colonize Mars. However, he’s also focused on addressing the underpopulation crisis. Musk, a father of 12, recently welcomed his third child with Shivon Zilis, the director of special projects at Neuralink Corp. Musk and Zilis already have twins, Strider and Azure, born in November 2021.

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Shivon Zilis, a key executive at Neuralink  — a company Musk cofounded — shared insights into their unique arrangement. Initially contemplating sperm donation, Musk persuaded Zilis to choose him as the donor. 

In his 2023 biography, Elon Musk is quoted as saying, "He really wants smart people to have kids, so he encouraged me to," Zilis said. "If the choice is between an anonymous donor or doing it with the person you admire most in the world, for me it was a pretty f***ing easy decision." She added, "I can't possibly think of genes I would prefer more for my children."

Walter Isaacson's biography of Musk details his rationale for having multiple children with different women, emphasizing the need for intelligent people to procreate. Zilis also mentioned that this arrangement made Musk "very, very happy." Initially expecting Musk to take on a more distant role, Zilis noted that he had been actively involved in their twins’ lives.

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Despite not being romantically involved, their decision to have children together aligns with Musk's concerns about the decline of the global population. Musk has frequently voiced the importance of reversing this trend among highly intelligent people, seeing it as crucial for civilization's survival. In July 2022, Musk tweeted, "Doing my best to help the underpopulation crisis. A collapsing birthrate is the biggest danger civilization faces by far." 

The latest addition to Musk’s family continues his pattern of fathering children with multiple partners. He has six children with Canadian author Justine Wilson, whom he married from 2000 to 2008. Their first child, Nevada, tragically died of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) in 2002. The couple also has twins — Griffin and Vivian, born in 2004, and triplets — Kai, Saxon, and Damian, born in 2006.

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In 2020, Canadian musician Grimes gave birth to Musk’s son, X Æ A-12. The following year, they welcomed a daughter, Exa Dark Sideræl, also known as Y, and another child, Techno Mechanicus, in 2023. Grimes has recently sued Musk over parental rights, claiming he hasn’t allowed her to see one of their sons. The custody battle is ongoing.

Musk's emphasis on addressing the underpopulation crisis is clear. "Many countries are already well below replacement rate, and the trend is that almost all will be," Musk told Page Six. "This is simply a fact, not a ‘debunked theory.' 2.1 kids is the replacement rate, and obviously the world as a whole will soon drop below that point."

Birthrates in many developed countries, including Canada, have declined near to or below the 2.1 replacement rate. Various factors contribute to this decline, including a lack of affordable housing, financial insecurity, and increased acceptance of not having children. According to the Organization for Economic cooperation and Development (OECD), this trend can significantly impact a nation's economic growth and prosperity.

Musk, whose net worth is estimated at $221 billion according to Forbes, continues to make headlines not only for his technological ventures but also for his growing family and outspoken views on population trends.

This story was previously published on Benzinga and has been updated.

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