Linda Yaccarino Resigns as CEO of X, the Platform Owned by Elon Musk

Linda Yaccarino announced on Wednesday that she will be leaving her position as CEO of X, the social media platform owned by Elon Musk. This decision was revealed just one day after X’s Grok chatbot generated a series of antisemitic posts, leading the company to disable its ability to issue text replies. While Yaccarino’s post on the platform did not address the controversy surrounding Grok, she expressed pride in the company’s efforts to enhance user safety and restore advertiser trust.

Yaccarino joined X in May 2023, shortly after Musk’s acquisition of the platform, which was formerly known as Twitter. She was brought in to focus on the business side, while Musk concentrated on technological advancements. Despite her advocacy for safety and innovative features, the company has faced various challenges, including Grok’s recent output issues and persistent controversies related to antisemitism.

Prior to her appointment, Yaccarino served as head of ad sales for NBCUniversal. Throughout her tenure, she dealt with significant events, including addressing the fallout from Musk’s dissemination of antisemitic conspiracy theories, which adversely affected advertising partnerships. In August 2023, she met with the Anti-Defamation League to strategize on combating antisemitism on the platform.

However, her efforts clashed with Musk’s public actions, which sometimes contradicted her objectives. Yaccarino’s departure follows Musk’s recent pivot away from his White House responsibilities and growing tensions with former President Donald Trump. In May, Musk indicated an intention to refocus on X and his other ventures.

With her exit, it remains uncertain how much Yaccarino was able to achieve in transforming X into the envisioned “everything app.” While her leadership has continually faced scrutiny, Yaccarino participated in critical discussions regarding child safety and the platform’s responsibilities in connection with harmful content. Despite these efforts, X continues to struggle with addressing pressing concerns, including child exploitation materials being shared on the platform.