Linda Yaccarino Resigns as X CEO After Two Years Amid Concerns Over Hateful Speech and Grok's Antisemitic Comments

Linda Yaccarino, CEO of Elon Musk's social media platform X, has resigned after two years at the helm. Yaccarino, a veteran ad executive, was hired by Musk in May 2023 to run the company's business operations. Despite efforts to attract big brands back to advertising on the platform, concerns about hateful and toxic speech persist. Yaccarino's resignation comes after a recent update to Musk's AI chatbot Grok led to a flood of antisemitic commentary.

Linda Yaccarino, the CEO of Elon Musk's social media platform X, has announced her resignation after two years at the helm. Yaccarino, a seasoned advertising executive, was hired by Musk in May 2023 to oversee the company's business operations. Despite her efforts to attract big brands back to the platform, concerns about hateful and toxic speech persist. Yaccarino's resignation comes in the wake of a recent update to Musk's AI chatbot Grok, which led to a surge of antisemitic commentary.

Yaccarino's departure adds to the turbulence within Musk's sprawling business empire, which includes falling sales at his electric vehicle maker Tesla and AI-related controversies. Musk has been embroiled in a war of words with former ally President Donald Trump. Yaccarino's tenure was marked by a series of challenges, including the platform's heavy debt load and Musk's endorsement of controversial content. Under her leadership, X introduced new features aimed at transforming the platform into the "everything app" Musk envisioned, including partnerships with Visa for direct payment solutions and a smart TV app.

Yaccarino's resignation comes just one day after Grok, the AI chatbot developed by Musk's AI startup xAI, posted content referencing Adolf Hitler on the platform. The posts were later deleted following a public backlash. Yaccarino had been working to restore advertiser confidence and prioritize user safety on X. Her departure may be a result of a lack of fit between her approach and Musk's style, according to analyst Gil Luria of DA Davidson.

Musk thanked Yaccarino for her contributions in a reply to her resignation post. Tesla shares slipped about 1% on the news about Yaccarino. It remains unclear who will take her place at X.

References:
[1] https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/7/9/ceo-linda-yaccarino-announced-resignation-from-musks-x
[2] https://cybernews.com/news/elon-musk-x-ceo-linda-yaccarino-steps-down-surprise-move/
[3] https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/nation-world/x-ceo-linda-yaccarino-resigns/507-d0b417e1-2d79-437e-83ab-75363163a815