Sergey Brin’s ex Nicole Shanahan talks alleged Elon Musk affair: ‘A collegial’ relationship
Google co-founder Sergey Brin’s ex-wife is doubling down that she and Elon Musk did not have an affair — even going so far as to describe their relationship as “collegial.”
Nicole Shanahan explained that she often sought out the Tesla founder’s advice about how to help with her 4-year-old daughter Echo’s autism treatments.
“Did Elon and I have sex, like it was a moment of passion, and then it was over? No,” she told People magazine.
“Did we have a romantic relationship? No. We didn’t have an affair.”
Shanahan, 37, turned to Musk – who has been vocal about his Asperger’s syndrome – because of Neuralink, his neurotechnology company.
“It was a conversation that was very meaningful about life and how people show up for one another,” she explained.
“To be painted with such a massive scarlet letter for it just seems so unfair.”
The California attorney grew close to Musk, 52, after Brin, 49, helped fund Tesla, the SpaceX founder’s electric car company.
“There’s a community of friendship involving not just Sergey and Elon but many other people in the tech world — investors, founders, really big thinkers, dreamers and doers,” Shanahan said.
“Elon was another person in this group of people,” she added, noting that her friendship with the billionaire wasn’t as close as the ones she shares with her female friends.
“My girlfriends that I’ve known for 10, 15 years that we’re like sisters to each other? No, it’s not that relationship — but I would call it a collegial environment,” she explained.
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Musk also has denied having an affair with Shanahan.
With her divorce from Brin finalized, the philanthropist has moved on with Lightning Labs VP Jacob Strumwasser, whom she met at Burning Man.
Shanahan and Strumwasser, 39, celebrated their romance with a commitment ceremony on the beach in May instead of having a traditional wedding.
“It’s lovely to be seen for who I am,” she said of her relationship.
“And not how search results show me.”
