Elon Musk apologized to Sergey Brin of Google for his alleged affair with his wife

Elon Musk got down on one knee and begged Google co-founder Sergey Brin to forgive him after Musk had an affair with Brin’s wife at a posh art festival in Miami Beach the last year, according to a report released Sunday.

The world’s richest man apologized to his longtime friend at a party earlier this year, people with knowledge of the stunning incident told The Wall Street Journal.

Brin acknowledged Musk’s professed remorse but still doesn’t speak to him regularly, the sources added.

The Tesla founder’s affair with Nicole Shanahan prompted Brin to file for divorce in January, citing « irreconcilable differences, » according to the Journal.

The adventure reportedly took place in December during the annual Art Basel event, a multi-day fair featuring exhibitions from international galleries and panel discussions attended by deep-pocketed collectors – after Musk broke up with the pop singer Canadian Grimes in September.

Shanahan’s marriage to Brin was also strained at the time due to issues surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns and the care of their daughter, people familiar with the relationship told the Journal.

They were separated but still lived together, a person close to Shanahan told the Journal.

Shanahan is reportedly asking more than $1 billion from Brin, who is worth $95 billion, and the couple are involved in divorce mediation proceedings.

They have been unable to reach an agreement, with Brin’s side saying Shanahan wants more than a prenup requires and Shananan’s side saying she signed the pact under duress while ‘she was pregnant, sources familiar with the negotiations told the Journal.

A lawyer for Brin declined to comment, the Journal said.

Neither Musk nor a spokeswoman for Shanahan, who runs a foundation focused on reproductive justice, responded to requests for comment, the Journal said.