Elon Musk has denied a Wall Street Journal report that claimed he had an affair with Nicole Shanahan, the wife of the Google co-founder Sergey Brin, accusing the news outlet of running “hit pieces” on him and Tesla.
via: CNN
Over the weekend, the Wall Street Journal reported that Musk — a longtime friend of Brin’s — had a brief relationship with Shanahan in December 2021 while she and Brin were separated but still living together. The publication cited unnamed people close to the matter.
“I work crazy hours, so there just isn’t much time for shenanigans,” the Tesla (TSLA) boss said in a Monday tweet.
“None of the key people involved in these alleged wrongdoings were even interviewed!,” he added.
Yeah, the character assassination attacks have reached a new level this year, but the articles are all nothing-burgers.
I work crazy hours, so there just isn’t much time for shenanigans.
None of the key people involved in these alleged wrongdoings were even interviewed!
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 25, 2022
In an earlier tweet, Musk, the world’s richest man, described the report as “total BS” and said he and Brin were still friends — and had attended a party together the night before.
“I’ve only seen Nicole twice in three years, both times with many other people around. Nothing romantic,” he added.
This is total bs. Sergey and I are friends and were at a party together last night!
I’ve only seen Nicole twice in three years, both times with many other people around. Nothing romantic.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 25, 2022
Brin filed for divorce from Shanahan in January due to irreconcilable differences, according to court documents filed in California seen by The Journal. He did so several weeks after discovering the affair, the publication said.
The two billionaires have been friends for many years, with Brin providing about $500,000 of funding for Tesla in 2008, when the company was struggling financially, the Journal said.
Musk reportedly dropped to one knee in front of Brin at a party earlier this year to ask for forgiveness over the affair, it added.
Musk, Brin and Shanahan did not immediately respond to CNN Business when reached for comment. Shanahan’s divorce lawyer also did not respond when contacted.
Brin stepped down as president of Alphabet (GOOGL), Google’s parent company, in 2019. He founded the search engine in 1998 with Larry Page. Both Brin and Page continue to serve on Alphabet’s board.
