Who Is Nicole Shanahan? Meet Sergey Brin’s Ex-wife Who Allegedly Had an Affair with Elon Musk

Nicole Shanahan, Sergey Brin’s wife, sparked a public frenzy when it was reported that she had an affair with billionaire Elon Musk. Here are the details about Nicole Shanahan, who is just as successful as her famous husband.

Two of the most influential entrepreneurs are making news worldwide after one of them allegedly had an affair with Nicole Shanahan. Elon Musk reportedly had a romantic affair with Shanahan behind the latter’s husband, Google co-founder and computer scientist Sergey Brin.

The 51-year-old Tesla CEO, who has long been acquainted with Brin, reportedly denied having an affair with Shanahan. Brin, a Russian-born business magnate, divorced his ex-wife earlier this year.

Nicole Shanahan, president of Bia-Echo Foundation, attends Gold House’s Inaugural Gold Gala: A New Gold Age at Vibiana on May 21, 2022, in Los Angeles, California. | Source: Getty Images

WHO IS NICOLE SHANAHAN?

Shanahan is more than Brin’s ex-wife. She is a lawyer and an entrepreneur. She studied at Stanford Law School and founded her tech company, ClearAcessIP.

She is also the president of the Bia-Echo Foundation. This private organization invests in entrepreneurs solving some of the world’s most pressing issues revolving around the environment, criminal justice reforms, and health.

Shanahan’s present accomplishments are the result of hard work. Despite having had a tough childhood, she said she was already driven to succeed and survive. She added:

“I had two unemployed parents for the majority of my childhood, so not only was there no money, there was almost no parental guidance, and as you can imagine with a mentally ill father, there was lots of chaos and fear.”

Shanahan grew up in Oakland, California. When she was nine, she had to deal with her father’s bipolar schizophrenia diagnosis. Meanwhile, her mother, who grew up in China, had difficulty adjusting to a new life in a foreign country.

The ClearAccessIP founder suffered from reproductive challenges. She said she had three unsuccessful efforts at embryo production and several unproductive trips to several IVF clinics, which left her feeling frustrated.

Instead of being upset, she turned her frustrations into motivation and decided to help women who struggled with infertility. She used her Bia-Echo Foundation to create programs for reproductive longevity and equality.

Shanahan donated $100 million to reproductive research that aids women in becoming pregnant in the future. Donating the fund is part of her dedication to providing generations of women with possible alternatives for having children.

Sergi Brin and Nicole Shanahan attend the Breakthrough Prize ceremony at Moffett Airfield on December 4, 2016, in Mountain View, California. | Source: Getty Images

HOW LONG HAVE SERGEY BRIN AND NICOLE SHANAHAN BEEN TOGETHER?

Brin and Shanahan were together for three years. They met at a yoga retreat house in 2015 and began dating. In the same year, they attended Lulu CEO Alexandra Chong and Jack Brockman’s wedding in Jamaica.

After celebrating their friends’ wedding, Shanahan and Brin attended the Met Gala in May 2016, where they debuted as a couple. They were finally married in November 2018.

Shanahan, now in her late 30s, was able to get pregnant despite having previously struggled with infertility. They welcomed their first daughter after they married. Their daughter, whose name has not been revealed, is now two years old.

Nicole Shanahan and Sergey Brin attend the 7th Annual Breakthrough Prize Ceremony at NASA Ames Research Center on November 4, 2018, in Mountain View, California.| Source: Getty Images

Unfortunately, Shanahan and her wealthy husband separated in December 2021. Brin reportedly divorced his ex-wife in January 2022 and cited “irreconcilable differences.”

Shanahan is no stranger to divorce, having been divorced from her first husband, a financial executive.

Nicole Shanahan and Sergey Brin attend the 2020 Breakthrough Prize Ceremony at NASA Ames Research Center on November 3, 2019, in Mountain View, California. | Source: Getty Images

The divorce came weeks after Brin learned about Shanahan and Musk’s alleged affair. Musk later denied the allegation and even dismissed the tension concerning his friendship with Brin, who supported him financially, especially during the financial crisis in 2008.

Following the divorce, Brin is reportedly seeking split custody of his and Shanahan’s daughter. However, he is not looking after child support from his ex-wife and has requested that she not get it.

Sergey Brin and Nicole Shanahan arrive at the 2018 Breakthrough Prize at NASA Ames Research Center on December 3, 2017, in Mountain View, California. | Source: Getty Images

Amid the high-profile divorce, Shanahan hoped that she and Brin would move forward for the sake of their daughter. Shanahan is no stranger to divorce, having been divorced from her first husband, a financial executive.

Brin, like Shanahan, was previously married. Brin was married from 2007 until 2015 to his first wife, businesswoman Ann Wojcicki, with whom he has two children.

Anomama