Google Founder Divorces Wife Amid Affair Allegations with Musk... 'They Were Close Friends...'

Google co-founder Sergey Brin has finalized his divorce proceedings with his wife, who was embroiled in an affair scandal involving Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla.

According to a report by the US economic media Business Insider on the 16th (local time), the presiding judge approved the divorce between Brin and his wife Nicole Shanahan on May 26. The couple, who married in November 2018, became estranged after 4 years and 6 months.

Sergey Brin, Google co-founder, and his ex-wife Nicole Shanahan
Photo by EPA

The affair allegations between Shanahan and Musk reportedly triggered the divorce. Although both parties denied the affair rumors, the divorce lawsuit was filed just weeks after Brin learned about Shanahan and Musk's

‘brief encounter.’ The Wall Street Journal reported last year that the two committed adultery at an event held in Miami in early December 2021.

In response to related reports, Musk dismissed them as “absurd,” stating, “I have only seen Shanahan twice in three years, and both times with many people around. There was nothing romantic between us.” Shanahan also denied the allegations.

Elon Musk revealed an image with Sergey Brin
Photo by Elon Musk Twitter

Despite strong denials, when the affair rumors persisted, Musk posted on Twitter (now X), “A picture is worth a thousand tweets. Here is Sergey and me yesterday,” sharing a photo with Brin. He also lamented, “The explosive attention about me is really the worst. Unfortunately, articles about me generate a lot of clicks.”

Despite Musk’s rebuttal, the Wall Street Journal did not amend or retract the article, and Musk did not express any intention to sue. The tech industry did not believe Musk’s denial, saying, “If the report were false, Musk could have filed a lawsuit, but he has not done so yet.”

Additionally, industry sources reported that at a party early last year, Musk knelt before Brin and apologized for the affair, seeking forgiveness.

Before the affair issue, Brin and Musk were close friends. In 2008, during the global financial crisis, Brin readily provided Musk with $500,000 when Musk was struggling to increase production.

The division of assets and attorney fees between Brin and Shanahan were carried out according to a prenuptial agreement. Child support for their 4-year-old daughter was also agreed upon, but the amount has not been disclosed.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.