Who is Nicole Shanahan, who funded RFK Jr’s Super Bowl ad? Google co-founder Sergey Brin’s ex allegedly had an affair with Tesla’s Elon Musk, and dropped millions on the presidential hopeful’s promo
- Being a billionaire’s wife is no easy feat – and Shanahan revealed that she was frustrated by what her life had become after marrying Google co-founder Sergey Brin, one of the richest men in the world
- The 37-year-old lawyer-philanthropist-turned-investor just donated US$4 million to the Super PAC, which managed RFK Jr’s controversial Super Bowl ad riffing on his uncle John F. Kennedy’s 1960 spot
A year after they split, a damning report claimed that the divorce occurred because Nicole Shanahan had an affair with another billionaire – and one of her husband’s best friends – Elon Musk. She denied the claims, but despite that, her name has been linked to Musk since.
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.”
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.