Linda Yaccarino has announced her resignation as Chief Executive Officer of X, formerly Twitter, stepping down after two years at the helm of the Elon Musk-owned platform. Her departure comes at a pivotal moment, as X moves toward deeper integration with Musk’s artificial intelligence venture, xAI.
In a statement shared on X, Yaccarino reflected on her tenure, calling it “an opportunity of a lifetime” and expressed gratitude to Elon Musk for entrusting her with the mission of “protecting free speech” and helping transform X into the envisioned “Everything App.”
“After two incredible years, I’ve decided to step down as CEO of X,” Yaccarino wrote. “I’m incredibly proud of the X team — the historic business turnaround we’ve accomplished together has been nothing short of remarkable.”
Yaccarino highlighted key achievements during her tenure, including efforts to enhance user safety, particularly for children, restore advertiser confidence, and introduce new features like Community Notes and the upcoming X Money.
“X is truly a digital town square for all voices and the world’s most powerful culture signal,” she said, adding that she would continue to support the platform as it enters its next phase in partnership with xAI.
Yaccarino joined X in 2023, around six months after Musk’s acquisition of the company. Previously, she served as Chair of Global Advertising and Partnerships at NBCUniversal Media, bringing with her significant industry experience that was seen as critical to reviving the platform’s advertising revenue.
Her tenure was marked by sweeping changes, including the rebranding of Twitter to X, controversial shifts in content moderation, and the reinstatement of previously banned accounts such as that of former US President Donald Trump. These moves led to a wave of advertiser exits.
Despite her efforts to bring advertisers back, tensions flared as Musk’s own public statements and decisions often complicated those efforts. In one notable 2023 incident, Musk told advertisers boycotting the platform over hate speech concerns to “go fk yourself**.”
Yaccarino’s resignation coincides with Musk’s larger strategy to consolidate his businesses. Earlier this year, Musk announced that xAI had acquired X in a $45 billion deal, aiming to integrate AI technology into the platform’s core.
With Yaccarino’s departure, X now prepares to enter a new era—one that increasingly blurs the lines between social media, fintech, and artificial intelligence under Musk’s evolving digital empire.
