So, who is Shanahan behind the headlines? Here is what you need to know about the 37-year-old lawyer-philanthropist.

How was Nicole Shanahan involved in that Super Bowl ad?

RFK Jr’s Super Bowl ad would have looked familiar to those who know their US history: it replicates a Super Bowl spot that his uncle John F. Kennedy did in 1960, from the aesthetic right down to the jingle.

Robert’s cousin Bobby Shriver quickly criticised the move, per Yahoo! News, prompting the independent candidate to post an apology on X, formerly Twitter: “I’m so sorry if the Super Bowl advertisement caused anyone in my family pain. The ad was created and aired by the American Values Super PAC without any involvement or approval from my campaign.”

How ex-Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer makes and spends his billions

The PAC is a political action committee in the US that is exempt from certain taxes. The organisation raises money from members to fund campaigns that can be pro- or anti-election candidates.

The question everybody was asking, though: who funded the US$7 million ad? As it turns out, Shanahan, a well-known Democrat, donated US$4 million towards it, per Business Insider. According to The New York Times, not only did Shanahan fund the ad, she was also involved in its production.

Did Nicole Shanahan really have an affair with Elon Musk?

The hype around Shanahan’s donation turned the spotlight once again towards her private life – specifically, the rumours around her alleged relationship with Musk.

After her split from Brin, the Wall Street Journal claimed that Shanahan and the Tesla boss had an affair. The publication added that the affair not only resulted in the divorce, but also the collapse of Brin and Musk’s long-time friendship.

Future first lady? Meet Cheryl Hines, Robert F. Kennedy Jr’s actress wife

In an interview with People, Shanahan denied the reports: “Did Elon and I have sex, like it was a moment of passion, and then it was over? No. Did we have a romantic relationship? No. We didn’t have an affair.”

Musk also slammed the speculation, posting a message on X to say that he and Brin had recently spent time together.

What happened to Nicole Shanahan and Sergey Brin?

Brin and Shanahan got married in 2018 and have a daughter together, Echo. They split in 2021 and the Musk bombshell dropped a year later. Their divorce was finalised in 2023. Per the New York Post, Brin filed for divorce citing irreconcilable differences.

Who are the 10 richest billionaires in Singapore? Net worths, ranked

Brin, who has a net worth of around US$117 billion, reportedly met Shanahan at a yoga retreat. Per New York Post, their prenup stated that, should their relationship end in divorce, spousal support would be settled in confidential arbitration. As a result, there has been little information on the settlement that Shanahan received.

What is Nicole Shanahan’s background?

She later graduated from the Santa Clara University of Law and got a fellowship at CodeX, the Stanford Centre for Legal Informatics. After Shanahan met Brin in 2014, the couple began dating in 2015 and fell in love at Stanford.

Who is Gina Carano, the actress suing Disney with Elon Musk’s backing?

After getting married, Shanahan said she was frustrated by what her life had become. “When I was living as a wife of a billionaire, I was not the best version of myself. I felt conflicted every day, like I couldn’t access the thing that made me what I am,” she told People.

Now she manages a venture capital fund and is in a relationship with Jacob Strumwasser, her partner she met at Burning Man.