Linda Yaccarino, the CEO of X—Elon Musk’s rebranded social media platform formerly known as Twitter—announced on Wednesday that she is stepping down.
“After two incredible years, I’ve decided to step down as CEO of 𝕏,” Yaccarino posted on the platform. Musk replied briefly: “Thank you for your contributions.”
Reflecting on her tenure, Yaccarino wrote: “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 with the responsibility of protecting free speech, turning the company around, and transforming X into the Everything App.”
Musk bought Twitter in 2022 for $44 billion and later rebranded it as X, part of a larger plan to turn the platform into a multipurpose app. He appointed Yaccarino CEO in 2023 after a sweeping overhaul that included massive layoffs and the rollback of key moderation policies. Yaccarino, previously a senior executive at NBCUniversal with a background in advertising, stepped into the role amid growing public scrutiny. In March, Musk’s AI venture, xAI, acquired X as part of an ongoing integration effort.
During her time as CEO, Yaccarino often found herself defending both the platform and Musk’s unpredictable behavior. Months into her leadership, Musk told advertisers to “go fuck yourself” during a public appearance following criticism of his endorsement of an antisemitic post—an incident that led to further advertiser withdrawals. Yaccarino publicly defended Musk and the company in media interviews.
Her own posts on X tended to highlight a softer tone, with upbeat retweets about celebrities and events, though she was frequently pulled into crisis management. Earlier this year, she denied a Wall Street Journal report that the company had pressured brands to advertise on X under threat of legal action. Still, under her leadership, the company did pursue lawsuits against advertisers who had reduced their spending following Musk’s takeover and repeated controversies.
