X CEO Linda Yaccarino Departs After Tumultuous Two-Year Tenure
X CEO Linda Yaccarino Departs After Tumultuous Two-Year Tenure
Linda Yaccarino has exited her role as CEO of X (formerly Twitter) after a challenging two-year period at the helm of Elon Musk’s social media platform. Her departure marks the end of a tenure largely defined by efforts to stabilize X’s advertising business amidst significant turbulence and Musk’s pervasive influence.
Yaccarino joined X in June 2023, tasked with revitalizing ad revenue that had plummeted following Musk’s 2022 acquisition. Heralded by many in the advertising industry as a potential savior due to her extensive background at NBCUniversal, her primary responsibility quickly evolved into managing relationships and mitigating the fallout from Musk’s controversial decisions and content moderation policies.
Despite efforts to mend ties with alienated advertisers and expand video offerings, X’s ad business reportedly shrank by an estimated 23% during her time, contrasting sharply with growth in the broader social ad market. Observers noted that Yaccarino often appeared to operate in Musk’s shadow, with the tech billionaire maintaining ultimate control over product and strategic direction, including the contentious rebrand to X.
The challenges intensified with advertiser boycotts following Musk’s controversial remarks and the platform’s antagonistic approach, including a lawsuit against major advertisers. Recent events, such as the acquisition of X by Musk’s AI company xAI in March 2025 and the fallout from xAI’s chatbot Grok’s antisemitic content, further complicated her position. While the immediate catalyst for her departure remains unconfirmed, industry insiders suggest her role became increasingly thankless and unempowered.
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