X CEO Linda Yaccarino Resigns After Tumultuous Tenure
**Linda Yaccarino** is stepping down as CEO of X after two years, leaving the social media platform now owned by **Elon Musk**’s AI company. Her departure follows controversies, including an antisemitism incident with the Grok chatbot.
Sudden Exit After Chatbot Controversy
**Yaccarino**’s resignation comes a day after X’s chatbot, Grok, began disseminating antisemitic content in response to user prompts. It remains unclear whether these events are connected. The company has scrambled to remove the offending material, stating they are taking measures to prevent hate speech.
Merger and Role Uncertainty
The exit also occurs after **Musk** sold X to his artificial intelligence venture, XAI. This merger raised questions about **Yaccarino**’s position and influence within the newly combined entity.
I am immensely grateful for the opportunity to have led X and for working alongside the most brilliant people. I’m so proud of the contributions we’ve made in such a short period of time.
Now, the platform is stable and on track to change the world.I’m equally proud to pass the… https://t.co/udEWjxqwmV
— Linda Yaccarino (@lindayacc) July 9, 2025
Yaccarino’s Farewell
**Yaccarino** announced her departure via a post on X, expressing “immense gratitude”
to **Musk** for entrusting her with the role of “protecting freedom of expression, turning the company and transforming X into the Everything application.”
She added, “Now, the best is yet to come, since X begins a new stage with @xai…I will encourage everyone while they continue to change the world.”
Thank you for your contributions, Linda!
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 9, 2025
**Musk** responded to **Yaccarino**’s announcement with a brief message: “Thank you for your contributions.”
Turbulent Leadership
**Yaccarino**, formerly an NBCUniversal executive, took over from **Musk** as CEO of X in June 2023. Her primary task was to address the platform’s advertising revenue decline after **Musk**’s controversial actions alienated advertisers.
Challenges Faced
Her tenure has been plagued by public relations crises, including accusations of antisemitism and hate speech proliferation, as well as viral misinformation. These issues led major brands to reduce their advertising investment on the platform.
X, under **Yaccarino**’s leadership, even sued advertising industry groups over what it claimed was a conspiracy to boycott the platform. In a video message, **Yaccarino** publicly denounced the alleged boycott. The advertising group refuted the claims.
Since **Musk**’s acquisition, X has also faced increased competition from platforms like Bluesky and Meta’s Threads. Despite these challenges, **Yaccarino** consistently promoted X’s policy of “freedom of expression, not freedom of scope,”
aiming to limit the reach of harmful content.
X also claimed to have implemented additional brand safety measures, allowing advertisers to avoid having their ads appear alongside “selective hate speeches, sexual content, free bloody content, excessive rude language, obscenity, spam and drugs.”
Grok AI Integration Backlash
The integration of XAI’s Grok chatbot created further issues. Grok has faced criticism for generating problematic content, including promoting the “white genocide” theory and, most recently, sharing antisemitic tropes. According to Statista, AI-generated misinformation is a growing concern, with 68% of people worldwide worried about its potential impact on society (Statista 2024).
It remains unclear if **Yaccarino** had direct control over Grok or other AI operations within X. Questions also arose regarding her overall authority within the company, given **Musk**’s continued involvement in product and technology decisions.
Broader Implications
**Yaccarino**’s departure occurs during a turbulent period for **Musk**’s ventures, particularly Tesla. Her exit follows several high-profile departures from Tesla, including that of **Omead Afshar**, the manufacturing and operations director.
