Islamabad; (Web-Desk) Linda Yaccarino, CEO of X and a key figure under Elon Musk, has announced her resignation in a surprise move, just months after Musk’s AI venture, xAI, acquired the social media platform for $33 billion.
Yaccarino, 61, revealed her decision in a post on X, indicating it was voluntary, though Musk is known for abruptly parting ways with senior staff. “I’ve decided to step down as CEO of X,” she wrote. Musk responded briefly on the platform, saying, “Thank you for your contributions.”
Yaccarino’s departure adds to the growing turbulence across Musk’s business empire, already grappling with declining Tesla sales, a wave of executive exits, and AI-related controversies.
Her resignation follows an incident where Grok, xAI’s chatbot, posted antisemitic content and praised Hitler, sparking public outrage and prompting Yaccarino to assure advertisers she was prioritizing safety on X.
An advertising veteran who previously led global ad sales at NBCUniversal, Yaccarino was brought in two years ago to help rehabilitate X’s image among marketers concerned about the rise in toxic content. While she worked to attract advertisers back, she also sued several, including the World Federation of Advertisers, accusing them of colluding to boycott the platform.
Analysts say Yaccarino faced the challenging task of managing X’s operations while constantly handling controversies triggered by Musk, whose style often clashed with her approach.
Gil Luria of D.A. Davidson suggested this disconnect may have peaked after Grok’s offensive posts. Still, Jasmine Enberg of Emarketer noted that with X’s ad business expected to grow in 2025, Yaccarino had largely achieved what she was hired to do.
Under her leadership, X rolled out features aligning with Musk’s vision of transforming it into an “everything app,” including a partnership with Visa for direct payments and the launch of a smart TV app. The company was also exploring its own credit or debit card.
It remains unclear who will succeed Yaccarino. Meanwhile, Tesla shares dipped 1% following the news, as Musk continues to juggle multiple ventures amid a spate of executive departures and financial challenges at X, formerly Twitter.
