Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and Tesla recently shared a personal family detail that connects heritage, science and admiration. In an interview with entrepreneur Nikhil Kamath on the channel People by WTF, Musk mentioned that his partner Shivon Zilis, who has Indian roots, was the inspiration for the middle name of one of their sons: Sekhar.
The name is in honor of Nobel Prize winner astrophysicist Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, who pioneered work in stellar evolution, influencing Musk’s interest in the cosmos.
Who was Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar?
Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar was born in Lahore in 1910 and showed signs of being a prodigious talent from his very early days. Belonging to a family of amazing scientists that included a Nobel laureate, CV Raman, Chandrasekhar attended early schooling at Presidency College in Madras.
His lifelong dedication to understanding stars culminated in the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1983 for his theoretical studies on stellar structure and evolution. His work, including the renowned Chandrasekhar limit, remains foundational in modern astrophysics.
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Legacy & Influence of Chandrasekhar on Musk
Chandrasekhar’s work at the University of Chicago and his editorship at The Astrophysical Journal defined much of the astronomical research in the 20th century. His theoretical work on white dwarfs, neutron stars and black holes is particularly resonant with Musk’s ambitions in space.
By naming his son Sekhar, Musk is not only paying homage to the scientist but also gesturing to one whose achievements reflect many of the frontiers Musk sees himself pushing with SpaceX and other ventures.
Connecting Family Heritage & Science
The head of operations at Neuralink, Shivon Zilis, was adopted and brought up in Canada but is still of Indian origin. She has never been to India, but the middle name Sekhar is a silent yet significant cultural connect.
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For Musk, the name represents a coming together of personal heritage and an ode to pioneering scientific minds-a narrative that entwines family identity with intellectual lineage.
Meaningful Names Across Musk’s Family
Musk and Zilis have four children, twins Strider and Azure, daughter Arcadia, and their youngest, Seldon Lycurgus Sekhar. The name Sekhar follows Musk’s trend of taking inspiration from literature, technology and pioneering figures.
It is both a nod to the brilliance of Chandrasekhar and a marker for shared family values in curiosity, discovery and knowledge.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not represent statements beyond Elon Musk’s public interview or official sources.
