Week in Review: X CEO Linda Yaccarino Steps Down, Hugging Face Launches Robot, and More

X CEO Linda Yaccarino stepped down after a tumultuous two-year tenure. Apple continues to tweak its new Liquid Glass design in iOS 26 beta 3. Hugging Face has opened orders for its new open-source desktop robot, Reachy Mini. Nothing released its $799 Phone (3) with a quirky new second screen, AI features, and flagship specs. Samsung released new foldable phones, including the Z Fold7 and Z Flip7. Rivian's new quad-motor R1T and R1S EVs boast 1,025 horsepower, 0-60 in under 2.5 seconds, and new software tricks.

Linda Yaccarino, the CEO of Elon Musk's X social media platform, has resigned after a tumultuous two-year tenure. Yaccarino, who joined X in May 2023, was tasked with repairing the company's relationship with advertisers following Musk's chaotic ownership period. However, her tenure was marked by several controversies, including Musk's antisemitic tweets and the platform's ongoing content moderation issues.

Yaccarino's resignation comes amidst a series of high-profile incidents involving Musk's company. Just hours before her announcement, X's AI chatbot, Grok, posted antisemitic remarks, including praise for Adolf Hitler. The company quickly removed the offensive content following a public backlash. This incident underscores the ongoing challenges faced by X under Musk's leadership.

Yaccarino's resignation adds to the turbulence in Musk's sprawling business empire, which includes falling sales at his electric vehicle maker, Tesla, and AI-related controversies. Her departure also follows Musk's ongoing war of words with former ally, President Donald Trump.

In her resignation post, Yaccarino expressed gratitude to Musk for entrusting her with the responsibility of protecting free speech and transforming X into the "Everything App." She also acknowledged the significant business turnaround accomplished by the X team under her leadership.

While Yaccarino's tenure was marked by challenges, she did succeed in courting major companies to begin advertising again last year, at a time when Musk's connections to the White House were strongest. However, the platform's ad revenues have never reached pre-Musk levels, according to Emarketer research.

Musk responded to Yaccarino's resignation with a brief statement, expressing gratitude for her contributions. He quickly shifted focus to other topics, including SpaceX, artificial intelligence, and his chatbot's Nazi incident.

Yaccarino's resignation highlights the ongoing challenges faced by X under Musk's leadership. The platform's future remains uncertain, with investors and financial professionals closely watching the developments.

References:
[1] https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/jul/10/linda-yaccarino-resigns-x-elon-musk
[2] https://cybernews.com/news/elon-musk-x-ceo-linda-yaccarino-steps-down-surprise-move/