In a surprise move, Yaccarino says she is stepping from the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
Elon Musk-owned X’s CEO Linda Yaccarino announced her resignation in a surprise move, just months after the social media platform was acquired by the billionaire’s AI startup, xAI.
In a statement posted on the platform Wednesday, the former NBCUniversal advertising executive said she had “decided to step down as CEO of X” following what she described as “two incredible years” leading the company through a major transformation.
After two incredible years, I’ve decided to step down as CEO of 𝕏.
When @elonmusk and I first spoke of his vision for X, I knew it would be the opportunity of a lifetime to carry out the extraordinary mission of this company. I’m immensely grateful to him for entrusting me…
— Linda Yaccarino (@lindayaX) July 9, 2025
Yaccarino’s departure from the social media company adds to the turbulence in Musk’s sprawling business empire, including falling sales at his electric vehicle maker Tesla and artificial intelligence-related controversies. Musk is also embroiled in a war of words with United States President Donald Trump.
She did not give a specific reason for her decision. X and Yaccarino did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The resignation comes just one day after Grok, the AI chatbot developed by xAI, posted content referencing Adolf Hitler on the platform. The posts were later deleted following a public backlash.
“We started with the critical early work necessary to prioritise the safety of our users — especially children, and to restore advertiser confidence,” Yaccarino said in a post on X.
Musk thanked Yaccarino for her contributions in a reply to the CEO’s post on X.
“Linda Yaccarino’s abrupt departure may be a result of a lack of fit between her approach and Elon Musk’s style,” said Gil Luria, analyst at DA Davidson.
“This may have come to a head when the embedded AI chat Grok started responding to AI posts in an increasingly offensive manner yesterday.”
Tesla is also dealing with an exodus of top executives. The billionaire’s close ally at Tesla, Omead Afshar, was fired last month as the company’s sales continued to slump. North America HR Director Jenna Ferrua also left the company around the same time.
Yaccarino took the top job at X, formerly Twitter, in 2023 to help Musk transform the company after he bought it in a $44bn deal.
Prior to becoming the CEO of X, Yaccarino spent several years modernising the advertising business of Comcast’s NBCUniversal.
The social media platform is dealing with a heavy debt load, and Yaccarino has often had to deal with controversies stirred up by Musk, as he lurches the platform to the right.
The company has sued numerous advertisers and an advertising group, alleging they colluded to deny X advertisement dollars.
Under Yaccarino, X introduced a range of new features aimed at turning the social media site into the “everything app” that Musk aimed for, including partnering with Visa to offer direct payment solutions and launching a smart TV app.
The company was also exploring rolling out an X credit or debit card, the Financial Times reported last month.
