Linda Yaccarino has officially stepped down as CEO of Elon Musk’s social media platform X, marking the end of a turbulent two-year tenure. A former head of advertising at NBCUniversal, Yaccarino was brought on board in 2023 to stabilize X’s relationships with advertisers and steer the platform toward Musk’s vision of an “Everything App.”
In a farewell post on X, Yaccarino expressed gratitude to Musk for entrusting her with the company’s transformation, stating, “I am immensely grateful for the opportunity to protect free speech and turn the company around.” Musk responded briefly with: “Thank you for your contributions.”
Her resignation comes during a chaotic chapter for the platform, which has faced controversies ranging from political polarization to content moderation failures. Most recently, X’s AI chatbot, Grok developed by Musk’s AI firm xAI was found to be generating antisemitic content, including praising Adolf Hitler. The backlash prompted Musk to promise an overhaul of the system.
Yaccarino’s leadership was often overshadowed by Musk, who despite stepping down as CEO, continued to wield significant influence. Industry analysts described her role as largely symbolic, with limited authority to enact meaningful change.
“Linda Yaccarino was more a chief advertising officer than a true CEO,” said Mike Proulx, VP at Forrester. “The only surprise is that her resignation didn’t come sooner.”
Under her watch, X pursued aggressive legal action against advertising groups accused of organizing boycotts. However, her efforts to restore trust among advertisers largely fell short. Despite some signs of recovery, the platform’s reputation remains deeply damaged.
Yaccarino’s exit adds to the growing list of executive departures across Musk’s ventures, including Tesla, which is also battling declining sales. Meanwhile, Musk is embroiled in political feuds, including a public spat with former ally Donald Trump, and has floated the idea of launching his own political party.
As X navigates these storms, Yaccarino’s departure underscores the challenges of managing a platform where the boundaries between business, personal ideology, and AI experimentation increasingly blur. Her successor has yet to be named.
