Tesla CEO Elon Musk reportedly had a brief affair with Google co-founder Sergey Brin’s second wife, which ended the billionaires’ lengthy friendship and destroyed Brin’s marriage.
The affair occurred when Brin and his second wife, Nicole Shanahan were separated but still residing in the same home, people familiar with the situation told The Wall Street Journal. Brin then filed for divorce from Shanahan several weeks after learning about the brief affair, sometime late in 2021, the WSJ noted.
The alleged affair reportedly took place at Art Basel in Miami in 2021 when Musk was broken up from his girlfriend, Grimes, WSJ continued. Earlier this year, Musk allegedly begged for Brin’s forgiveness and apologized profusely for the transgression, sources told the outlet.
Elon Musk Doesn’t Think He’s Ever Voted Republican. He Says He Will In 2022 https://t.co/h9VraS2Lal
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) May 17, 2022
Brin and Shanahan share one child together, WSJ noted. “I hope for Sergey and I to move forward with dignity, honesty and harmony for the sake of our child. And we are both working towards that,” Shanahan said earlier this month, WSJ reported. (RELATED: REPORT: Elon Musk Breaks Up With Grimes, Who Is Now Dating Leaker Chelsea Manning)
Brin and Musk have been close friends for many years, with Musk often sleeping over at Brin’s home in Silicon Valley, according to the WSJ. Brin gave Musk around $500,000 in 2008 as Tesla struggled during the financial crisis, the outlet noted, to which Musk returned the favor by giving Brin one of the first Tesla vehicles ever made.
Tensions have been growing between the formerly close friends over many months, the WSJ reported. Brin started divesting his interests in Musk’s companies, according to the WSJ.