Google co-founder Sergey Brin’s divorce finalised amid rumours of wife’s affair with Elon Musk: Report

Sergey Brin, one of Google's co-founders, discreetly concluded his divorce from Nicole Shanahan nearly a year following rumours circulating about her involvement with his close friend, Elon Musk.

Court records, acquired by Insider, reveal that a Santa Clara County Superior Court judge finalised the divorce on May 26. Brin, aged 50, had initiated the divorce process in January 2022, approximately a month after allegations emerged of Shanahan's association with Musk. The grounds for the divorce were cited as "irreconcilable differences."

Brin ranked as the ninth wealthiest individual globally with an estimated net worth of $118 billion according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, tied the knot with Shanahan in 2018. Their initial encounter took place three years earlier at a yoga retreat, as documented in court records. The couple shares a 4-year-old daughter.

Prior to marriage, the couple executed a prenuptial agreement outlining that, in the event of a divorce, matters like spousal support would be resolved through confidential arbitration, as reported by Insider.

Regarding child custody, Brin and Shanahan agreed to "non-guideline" child support, although specific monetary details were not disclosed in court documents. In California and various other states, "guideline" child support is calculated by considering the income disparity between parents and the time each parent spends with the child.

Shanahan, employed as a lawyer at the Bay Area nonprofit Bia-Echo Foundation, did not contest the divorce but did request spousal support from the court, according to Insider.

The divorce proceedings, including issues such as spousal support, legal fees, and asset division, were resolved privately through arbitration, as revealed in the court records.

In July 2022, The Wall Street Journal reported that Brin's friendship with Musk suffered a fracture after Brin learned of Musk's alleged involvement with his wife in December 2021. Both Musk and Shanahan denied the allegations, and according to the Journal, Musk sought forgiveness from Brin.

Brin's response to the situation was reportedly so intense that he sold his Tesla shares, which were purportedly valued at $100 million at the time.

Musk has previously made efforts to dispel rumours of any ongoing dispute with Brin. He said on Twitter at the time: “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.”

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