Elon Musk and His Alleged Affair Cost Him Friendship with Google Co-founder Sergey Brin

The Wall Street Journal reported that Elon Musk slept with the wife of Google co-founder, Sergey Brin and it cost him their friendship and investment in Tesla.

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Elon Musk has messed up one of his more important relationships in life, and it was because he broke the "bro code" with longtime friend Sergey Brin. This friendship may never be repaired, as they are no longer on speaking terms. Seriously, Elon, where is the self-control?

Sergey Brin, the Google co-founder, is the 7th richest man in the world with an estimated fortune of $107 billion. (Source: Wikipedia)

On Sunday, July 24, The Wall Street Journal reported several shocking things about Elon Musk, and this news source is not known to report without having a reputable or corroborating source for their information.

Recap of My Previous Article on Elon Musk Sets the Stage

My last article in this series, "Elon Musk and his Father Continue to Have Babies with Saved Sperm & Embryos" looks at all the "baby mama drama" we see with both Elon Musk and his father, Errol. It talks about the numerous children they have had and the more controversial relationships.

Elon shares his personal issues with his father, saying that his father is an evil person, and touches on Elon dating Amber Heard. They even froze embryos together. But she has since said that Elon Musk was a very controlling person.

The Wall Street Journal's reporting picks up right after the birth of Elon Musk's twins by Shivon Zilis in November 2021, and right after Elon Musk broke up with the singer Grimes (another mother of two of his babies).

The WSJ article, "Elon Musk's Friendship With Sergey Brin Ruptured by Alleged Affair" shared these things:

• Elon Musk was a close friend of Sergey Brin before the affair, and would often stay at Sergey Brin's mansion. (Source: WSJ)
• Elon Musk had an affair with Nicole Shanahan in December 2021 at the Art Basel festival in Miami. The "brief affair" accelerated Sergey Brin filing for divorce. They were separated at the time. (Source: WSJ)
• Elon Musk dropped to his knees at a party in 2022, begging Sergey Brin for forgiveness. (Source: WSJ)
• After finding out about the affair, Sergey Brin asked his financial people to withdraw all investments in Elon Musk's firms. (Source: WSJ)

WSJ: Elon Musk Had an Affair with Sergey's Wife

The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday night that Elon Musk had an affair with Sergey Brin's wife, Nicole Shanahan in December 2021.

Sergey Brin and his wife, Nicole Shanahan have been separated since December 2021 but were still living together when the affair with Elon Musk happened at the Art Basel festival in Miami, FL.

"Sergey Brin and Shanahan were encountering difficulties in their marriage at the time, largely tied to stressors connected to COVID-19 and caring for their 3-year-old daughter." -Sources for The Wall Street Journal

YouTube: @new.com.au

Elon Asked for Forgiveness at the Party

The Wall Street Journal reported that Elon Musk and Sergey Brin were both at the same party in 2022, and Elon Musk "dropped to his knees to ask his longtime friend for forgiveness." Sergey Brin acknowledged the apology but is still not speaking to Elon Musk.

Sergey Brin filed for divorce in January 2022, stating "irreconcilable differences."

"I hope for Sergey and I to move forward with dignity, honesty and harmony for the sake of our child. And we are both working towards that. -Nicole Shanahan

Sergey Brin and Nicole Shanahan married on Nov. 7, 2018, and have one daughter. Sergey Brin requests joint custody of their daughter.

Friendship, Investments, and Billionaire Sleepovers are Over

Since the discovery of the affair, Sergey Brin and Elon are no longer friends. Sergey instructed his financial advisers to sell all of his investments related to Elon Musk's businesses. Sergey initially invested $500,000 USD into Tesla in 2008 (Source: Business Insider).

Elon won't be crashing at Sergey's mansion any longer.

Elon Musk is No Stranger to Sex Scandals

Forbes reported that back in 2018, SpaceX paid $250,000 to settle with a flight attendant that claims Elon Musk propositioned her [to have sex] and he exposed himself to her. Musk has denied these allegations.

Sergey Brin is No Stranger to Cheating

The truth is, Sergy Brin is no angel. His first marriage went south after he was caught cheating. Sergey Brin was previously married to Anne Wojcicki, but they separated in 2013 when she found out he was cheating on her with the Google Glass marketing director. They finalized their divorce in June 2015.

Is Elon Musk Innocent or Doing Damage Control?

According to Elon Musk, he has not had an affair with Sergey Brin's now ex-wife, Nicole Shanahan.

Elon Musk tweeted and replied to tweets on the issue:

Screenshot from Twitter of Elon Musk and Sergey Brin

The New York Post has published a response from Elon Musk via email:

"Nicole and Sergey's divorce has absolutely nothing to do with me."

"And, not to dodge the question, I have only seen Nicole twice in three years, both times with many other people around. We were not romantically involved in any way." -Elon Musk

Nicole Shanahan's lawyer released the following statement about his client:

"Make no mistake, any suggestion that Nicole had an affair with Elon Musk is not only an outright lie but also defamatory." -Nicole Shanahan's lawyer

Reader Poll:

Is there any truth to what The Wall Street Journal is reporting on the affair between Elon Musk and Nicole Shanahan?

A. Yes. It could have happened.

B. No. The Wall Street Journal is a joke.

Sources

Biron, Bethany. "Elon Musk reportedly had an affair with the wife of Google co-founder and longtime friend Sergey Brin, prompting his divorce earlier this year." Business Insider. 24 July 2022.

Biron, Bethany. "Elon Musk reportedly dropped to his knees and begged for forgiveness after his affair with Google co-founder Sergey Brin's wife." Business Insider. 24 July 2022.

Cheung, Kylie. "No One's More Disgusted By Alleged Elon Musk Affair Than Woman He Allegedly Banged." Jezebel. 27 July 2022.

Smith, Emily. "Elon Musk laughs off affair rumors, insists he hasn't had sex in ages'." New York Post. 25 July 2022.

Grind, Kirsten "Elon Musk's Friendship With Sergey Brin Ruptured by Alleged Affair." The Wall Street Journal. 24 July 2022.

Porterfield, Carlie. "Elon Musk Reportedly Had Affair With Sergey Brin's Wife — Ending Billionaires' Friendship." Forbes. 24 July 2022.

Smith, Zachary Snowden. "SpaceX Reportedly Paid $250,000 to Settle Sexual Harassment Accusation Against Elon Musk." Forbes. 19 May 2022.

Wikipedia entry: The World's Billionaires

YouTube: news.com.au. "Elon Musk had affair with wife of Google co-founder Sergey Brin: report" 24 July 2022.

Zilber, Ariel. "Google co-founder Sergey Brin — who's worth $93 billion — files for divorce." New York Post. 17 June 2022.

Would you pay $3,000 a Night to Rent the 'Invisible' Glass House on Airbnb?

Celebrities and wealthy individuals shell out some serious cash to stay in this modern marvel in the Mojave Desert to get their creative juices flowing.

The Invisible House

Source: Airbnb; public domain

In2019, Chris Hanley built a glass house in the Mojave Desert, a house that was featured in the April 2022 issue of Architectural Digest.

In the day can be almost invisible to the human eye. When seen at the perfect angle, you could make it out if you are standing in Joshua Tree National Park in California.

Chris Hanley is a Hollywood producer and is known for American Psycho (2000).

Many famous celebrities have booked this house to "get their creative juices flowing" for projects, including:

• Alicia Keys
• Chainsmokers
• Demi Lovato
• Korn

The Invisible House being…Invisible in Joshua Tree National Park

The Glass House looks almost invisible; Photo by Petr Mašek

The house was designed by famous Hollywood architect Tomas Osinski. The inside is notably minimalist in design, with 6,200 square feet of the ultra-modern interior that has an open floor plan that includes an indoor pool.

The Interior of the Invisible Glass House

Interior of the Glass House; Photos by Petr Mašek

Raymond Dominguez, a sales manager at Engel & Völkers Santa Monica noted:

"The spectacular location, the minimalist architecture and the exclusive amenities all make this property utterly unique." -Raymond Dominguez, Sales Manager

The Invisible Glass House Has an Indoor Pool

Interior Photo by Petr Mašek

The Invisible Glass House at Night

Exterior Photo by Petr Mašek

Airbnb has a Listing for 'The Invisible House'

Source: Airbnb; public domain

The Airbnb listing describes the Invisible House:

"Quite simply, Invisible House is the most spectacular house in Joshua Tree. As seen in design and lifestyle publications worldwide, this mirrored 22-story horizontal skyscraper virtually disappears into the vast desert landscape. The luxurious 100-foot indoor swimming pool contrasts with the High Desert surroundings. The 90-acre property has its own 4000ft mountain and shares half a mile border with the National Park."

The Bedrooms of the Invisible House

Screenshots Airbnb listing; public domain

The Price to Stay in the Invisible House:

As the wealthy saying goes: "If you have to ask, you probably can't afford it."

How can I rent the invisible house?

The Airbnb listing without adding any reservation dates shows it for $2,653 per night.

However, if I try to reserve dates July 20–31, the nightly price increases, and would cost a total of $39,345.00 USD including a weekly discount of $3,775.00 USD.

Example reservation July 20 — July 31, 2022:

Screenshot Airbnb: public domain

According to the Robb Report article on Yahoo! News, "Engel & Völkers is currently letting the Invisible House for $150,000 per month"

Either way, I can't afford it.

Just a reminder for everyone else that can't afford this luxurious rental house:

"Those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones."

So let's not judge those that can afford this modern marvel. It truly deserves to be on MTV Cribs (2019).

Fun fact: On July 16, 2022 (date of publication) the high temperature in Joshua Tree National Park, California shows 106 °F.

Sources

Airbnb listing: "Invisible House Joshua Tree — Skyscraper with Pool"

Cormack, Rachel. "Joshua Tree's Bonkers 'Invisible House' Is Now Available to Rent for $150,000 a Month." Robb Report. 15 July 2022.

"Joshua Tree's 'Invisible House' in Photos." Robb Report. 14 July 2022.

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Are Lectins Bad for Your Health? Dr. Gundry MD wants us to Believe 'Yes'

Shocking health claims abound endlessly on social media in paid advertisements for various supplements.

I found myself watching one in particular on Facebook by Dr. Steven Gundry MD on the subject of lectins. If you watch more videos by Dr. Steven Gundry, you start to see a pattern. He is waging a war on lectins.

Paid Advertisements about Lectins

His paid videos hope that you buy into the idea that lectins are bad for your digestive system, in hopes that you purchase his product called Total Restore to lose excess weight and restore gut health.

One of his videos begins with a big, juicy cheeseburger, and asks the viewer, "If you had to remove two things from this freshly grilled cheeseburger to make it more healthy, which two would you choose?"

Can you guess what his answer is?

Nope. Neither could I.

Image of Cheeseburger from Dr. Gundry's advertisement for Total Restore

Dr. Gundry then says "I'll bet you'll never guess my answer," and continues his shock-fest that he would only remove the bun and the tomatoes. His reason is that they contain lectins, of course. Most viewers are thinking to themselves, "Are you crazy?"

What are Lectins?

Wikipedia says:

"Lectins are carbohydrate-binding proteins that are highly specific for sugar groups of other molecules."

What foods contain lectins? 

Beans, eggplant, fruits, lentils, peanuts, potatoes, tomatoes, grains and wheat.

Are lectins really bad for your health?

Dr. Gundry's Paid Advertisements Wage War on Lectins

Dr. Gundry has waged a war on lectins in all of his videos to sell his nutrition supplement, Total Restore.

He explains lectins in this video found on YouTube:

Here are some claims by Dr. Steven Gundry:

He claims that "lectins can punch holes in your digestive system."

He claims that "a diet high in lectins can make you feel sluggish, bloated, and foggy."

He claims that removing lectins is good for "better overall health."

He claims that he personally lost 80 pounds over a span of 20 years because of his avoidance of lectins in his diet.

Dr. Steven Gundry presents a variety of health issues

But is it true? Are lectins the cause of leaky gut?

Checking the Sources in his Advertisements

First, I wanted to check his sources, to see if he was telling the truth, or filling us with buffoonery.

I went to one of his sources, a research paper on the dangers of leaky gut. I then did a CTRL + F to find all references of the word lectin in the paper. The only two mentions of the word lectin in his first quoted source are in two of the paper's sources.

I then went to the 2nd source cited in the image above, and there is no mention of the word lectin anywhere in this 2nd source, not even in the sources.

So, while the list of symptoms above could possibly be caused by lectins, nowhere in the actual papers do they mention that lectins cause these problems. In fact, the symptoms described in the screenshot from Dr. Gundry's video are symptoms of leaky gut syndrome, but not necessarily a result of eating lectins.

I find that a bit odd, for someone to quote research papers that do not directly mention the claims about lectins.

Next, I did research to see if there was any actual scientific evidence that lectins are bad for your health. Guess what I found?

The Mayo Clinic says: "No Scientific Evidence Exists"

The Mayo Clinic published an article on Sept. 14, 2018 that states: "No scientific evidence exists to show that eliminating dietary lectins will cure any medical disorders or conditions, including autoimmune diseases." The article says that "Some research seems to indicate that taking in large quantities of raw lectins could have negative health effects" and that cooking food breaks down lectins. Not to mention most of the foods that contain lectins make up a well-balanced diet.

So what the heck Dr. Gundry, are you just trying to sell your nutrition supplement by making unproven claims? The answer is: Yes.

Dr. Gundry's ad uses the 'Bait and Switch' Strategy

Dr. Gundry uses a marketing strategy called bait and switch. He gets the viewer intrigued by his claims that lectins are bad for your health and digestive system so the viewer then believes he is an expert on health and nutrition. Dr. Gundry then presents his product that uses "the best ingredients" from all over the world that is missing from our everyday diets. At this point, the viewer may buy into his cause, because he is now perceived as an expert in nutrition.

Dr. Steven Gundry MD Talks about a Fecal Transplant to Sell a Book of Lies

Dr. Steven Gundry MD talks about many things to sell his book, and this diatribe started with a fecal transplant and obesogenic bacteria.

Dr. Steven Gundry MD; CC 2.0 by Piaras, modified

Ripley's Believe it or Not! should hire Dr. Steven Gundry, because he is truly a magician with words in his paid advertisements. You really need to watch magicians very closely, because if you don't they will literally steal your wallet from your back pocket.

Dr. Steven Gundry MD has been around for a while, maybe you have seen him in infomercials on Facebook (Meta) or YouTube trying to sell his supplements. Now he is trying to sell his book, The Plant Paradox. In this book he will tell you things, for example, Beans and tomatoes are bad for you. Don't eat them.

In his paid advertisements, he takes medical science and in my opinion, adds embellished facts or things that aren't established medical science to sell his book.

Author: "I believe he is playing a dangerous game in order to sell his products."

His Book: The Plant Paradox

Screenshot of book cover, The Plant Paradox

Dr. Gundry Talks about a C. diff Infection in an Interview

In one of his YouTube videos (see video at the bottom of this section), Dr. Steven Gundry is being interviewed by Lewis Howes on an episode of The School of Greatness and Dr. Gundry opens his interview saying this:

"5 Raw Kidney Beans will kill a human being in 5 minutes by coagulating their blood." -Dr. Steven Gundry MD

Now this is intended to be a shocking statement; Something to get our attention as a medical expert. But wait…there's more!

"But turns out 90% of all the cells that make you and me me are actually non-human cells. They're bacteria, viruses, funguses, worms that live in us and on us and the shocking thing is 99% of all the genes that make up you and me are non-human genes." -Dr. Steven Gundry MD

Are you listening to him now?

Storytime with Dr. Steven Gundry MD

Dr. Gundry tells a story about a female marathon runner in England that developed a severe infection in her colon called C. difficile — Clostridioides difficile, commonly referred to as C. diff. (Author's note: My grandmother personally experienced this serious condition in 2021, which required a steady regimen of antibiotics to treat.)

Dr. Gundry continues in his interview with Lewis Howes on C. diff:

"The modern treatment for this [C. diff] now is a fecal transplant — taking poop from somebody else and shoving it up your ass…and you try to get a fecal transplant from a family member because believe it or not family members tend to share a lot their bacteria."

"So they found a cousin that was a good match for her [the runner], and she got the fecal transplant and everything went well, her C. difficile went away." -Dr. Steven Gundry

Dr. Gundry then continues with his story, now adding his own opinion:

"In the next year, this marathon runner gained 32 pounds. Her cousin was about 32 pounds overweight (whom she received the bacteria for the fecal transplant). So she was inoculated with obesogenic bacteria…and her bacteria, these little one-celled organisms, controlled her behavior."

I have to stop the video right there, and call him on that.

Author: How does the good Dr. Gundry know that obesogenic bacteria has controlled a woman that he has never met?

Lewis Howes then furthers this bad narrative in this verbal exchange:

Lewis Howes: "So it made her more hungry, more desire…for certain foods?"

Dr. Steven Gundry MD: "Yeah, exactly."

Lewis Howes: "So she changed the way she was eating because she was triggered in a different way?"

Dr. Steven Gundry MD: "Being manipulated, being manipulated."

Lewis Howes: "It's kind of like when you're, you know, I love candy and sweets, I've never been drunk and I don't drink, but my vices are like…I could eat cakes and candy and brownies all day long…if I choose to, and then when I go off of it, it's hard because I just want to keep going back to it. Right? Until I change the habit fully, and then I'm like, 'I don't need it anymore.'"

Dr. Steven Gundry MD: "Right."

Dr. Steven Gundry MD, the "Expert"

Dr. Steven Gundry MD talked in detail about an obesogenic bacteria that he didn't personally test for. He assumes she received this from a fecal transplant. He confidently says she gained 32 pounds from receiving the bacteria, and then goes on to talk about what has happened to her body as a result.

Author's note: While I personally believe there is such a link between gut health, bacteria, and digestion — there was no evidence to show that this female runner received obesogenic bacteria from her cousin, and further Dr. Gundry MD speculated obesogenic bacteria explicitly caused the runner to gain 32 pounds.

I think there is a problem when a doctor makes statements about what happened to a person without doing tests and having definitive proof.

Dr. Gundry's Interview with Lewis Howes (Video):

Further Research into Obesogenic Bacteria

As a personal endeavor for writing this article, I did further research into the subject of obesogenic bacteria, which the medical community has not fully established yet(the medical community is still on the cutting edge of gathering data on this). I share this because I am not saying bacteria and gut health are not related.

Author: Dr. Steven Gundry MD uses outlandish and unproven claims with stories to come across as an expert on food and nutrition to sell products. I believe this is an abuse of his profession as a doctor.

Research: Two Articles on Gut Bacteria and Weight

I found two articles of interest: One from The Science Breaker, and the other from Science Alert online publications.

In The Science Breaker article, they examined a study of 935 mothers in the Canadian Healthy Infant Longitudinal Development (CHILD) birth cohort. They first had to successfully identify a gut bacteria passed from the mother to child.

This is what they found:

"Infants born vaginally to overweight mothers were 3 times more likely to become overweight at age 1, while cesearean-delivered infants of overweight mothers had a 5-fold risk of [being] overweight.

The Lachnospiraceae bacteria were observed to be more abundant in the gut of 3-month-old infants born to overweight mothers."

In the Science Alert article, they share information published in the Nature Metabolism journal:

"Medical researchers have discovered a molecule linking the tiny creatures that call our guts home to levels of fat in our bodies."

Their study looks at obesity and obesity-related metabolic disorders linked to the intestinal microbiome, and changes in the microbiome-host interaction that affects energy being metabolized (which is a controversial point).

"We now have a molecular mechanism that provides a starting point to understand our microbiome as a link between our diet and our body composition." -Dean Jones, biochemist at Emory University

They found in their study of mice, that mice had delta-valerobetaine molecules in mice exposed to metabolic microbes, and that delta-valerobetaine decreased the levels of carnitine — which is responsible for transporting long fat molecules into the mitochondria to be broken down into energy. Without enough carnitine, the mice gained weight and accumulated more fat in their livers, but the researchers could not directly make this same correlation in humans.

"This type of information could potentially help someone develop a personalized strategy for weight loss…but there are a lot of things we need to understand better about how delta-valerobetaine functions in context." -Dr. Ken Liu, Emory University

Conclusion

Just because someone claims to be an expert doesn't mean that they are. Many marketers boast unverified claims and unproven medical science to sell their products.

Always do your own research before buying into their gimmicks.

Author's note: I am not a dietician or medical expert. This article was written for informational purposes only. I have an interest in science and facts regarding health and nutrition. I do not like people that take advantage of others for financial gain.

Always consult your physician before changing your diet or taking a new supplement.

Sources

"Gut bacteria orchestrate the transmission of overweight from mother to babe." The Science Breaker. Accessed: 19 June 2022.

Koumoundouros, Tessa. "Gut Microbes Can Cause Obesity, And We're Getting Closer to Understanding How." Science Alert. 6 Feb. 2022.

Liu, Ken, et. al. "Microbial metabolite delta-valerobetaine is a diet-dependent obesogen." Nature Metabolism Journal at Nature.com. 20 December 2021.

YouTube: "The TOP FOODS That Should Be Banned — Don't Eat These Foods!" by Lewis Howes