X CEO Linda Yaccarino Resigns After Two Years Amid Musk's Challenges

Linda Yaccarino, the CEO of X (formerly Twitter), has resigned after two years. The departure comes at a challenging time for Elon Musk, who is dealing with falling sales at Tesla and a feud with US President Donald Trump. Yaccarino did not give a specific reason for her decision to leave.

Title: Linda Yaccarino Resigns as CEO of X; Musk Faces Challenges at Tesla

Linda Yaccarino, the CEO of X (formerly Twitter), has resigned after two years, marking a significant shift in the leadership of Musk's social media platform. The departure comes at a challenging time for Elon Musk, who is also grappling with falling sales at Tesla and a high-profile feud with US President Donald Trump.

Yaccarino, a former NBCUniversal executive, was brought on in mid-2023 to help restore advertiser trust and reposition the platform after Musk's controversial takeover. However, her tenure was marked by multiple public relations challenges, including hate speech concerns, advertiser boycotts, and a lawsuit against an ad industry watchdog. Despite new brand safety tools and content moderation policies, her efforts to turn around the company's reputation were hindered by ongoing controversies.

The resignation of Yaccarino follows the acquisition of X by Musk's AI startup, xAI, raising questions about her role going forward. Musk's decision to fold X into his AI venture has been met with skepticism, particularly regarding the company's ability to maintain its social media functionality while integrating AI technology.

The timing of Yaccarino's resignation coincides with the Grok chatbot controversy, where the AI chatbot developed by xAI posted content with antisemitic tropes and praise for Adolf Hitler. The posts were deleted following a public backlash, and Yaccarino stated she was working to restore advertiser confidence and prioritize safety on X.

Yaccarino's departure adds to a series of recent high-profile exits across Musk's companies. The turmoil at X is part of a broader trend of instability within Musk's sprawling business empire, which includes falling sales at Tesla and escalating political tensions between Musk and former ally President Donald Trump.

Tesla, of which Musk is CEO, is also dealing with an exodus of top executives. The company reported the two largest drops in sales in its history in the last two quarters, and analysts have expressed concern about the company's financial outlook. Musk's political involvement and the removal of federal incentives for electric vehicle buyers have contributed to the company's struggles.

Under Yaccarino's leadership, X introduced video podcasts, new financial tools, and attempted to position itself as an "everything app." However, usage has declined significantly, with active users dropping from over 915 million in June 2023 to 684 million last month, according to Similarweb.

In a statement on X, Yaccarino thanked Musk for entrusting her with the responsibility of protecting free speech and transforming X into the "Everything App." Musk briefly responded, "Thank you for your contributions." The future leadership of X remains uncertain, with neither X nor Yaccarino providing immediate details on her successor.

References
[1] https://www.newsbreak.com/nbc-palm-springs-298461496/4097451134883-linda-yaccarino-steps-down-as-ceo-of-elon-musk-s-x-amid-mounting-controversies
[2] https://cybernews.com/news/elon-musk-x-ceo-linda-yaccarino-steps-down-surprise-move/
[3] https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/08/business/tesla-troubled-financial-outlook