Linda Yaccarino, the CEO of Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter), has abruptly announced her departure from the company. The move comes just months after Musk’s artificial intelligence startup, xAI, acquired the social media platform. Yaccarino, 61, stated in an X post that she decided to step down, though the timing raises questions given Musk’s history of sudden executive dismissals.
Yaccarino’s exit adds to ongoing instability across Musk’s ventures, including declining Tesla sales and controversies surrounding his AI projects. The billionaire has also been engaged in public disputes with former ally Donald Trump. Yaccarino, an advertising industry veteran, was hired two years ago to help restore X’s reputation among advertisers, many of whom left over concerns about harmful content on the platform.
During her leadership, Yaccarino pursued legal action against major advertisers, including the World Federation of Advertisers, accusing them of colluding to withhold ad spending from X. Despite her efforts, the platform continued to face challenges in regaining advertiser trust. Musk responded to her resignation with a brief acknowledgment, writing, “Thank you for your contributions.”
The timing of Yaccarino’s departure and her successor remain unclear. With X still struggling to stabilize its business model and Musk increasingly focused on AI, the platform’s next chapter is uncertain. Will Musk take a more hands-on role, or will another executive step in? The coming weeks may reveal the direction of X under xAI’s ownership.