Linda Yaccarino suddenly announced her resignation as CEO of X Wednesday morning, stepping down after two years of leading Elon Musk’s social media platform through what she described as a “historic business turnaround.”
“After two incredible years, I’ve decided to step down as CEO of X,” Yaccarino wrote in a post on the platform. “When @elonmusk and I first spoke of his vision for X, I knew it would be the opportunity of a lifetime to carry out the extraordinary mission of this company.”
“I’m immensely grateful to him for entrusting me with the responsibility of protecting free speech, turning the company around, and transforming X into the Everything App,” she continued. “I’m incredibly proud of the X team — the historic business turn around we have accomplished together has been nothing short of remarkable.”
Musk responded to Yaccarino’s announcement with appreciation, writing “Thank you for your contributions.”
Yaccarino did not provide a specific reason for her departure, though sources familiar with the matter told NBC News that her exit had been in the works for over a week.
Her resignation comes as X continues its transformation under the new ownership structure following the March merger with Musk’s artificial intelligence company xAI.
The veteran executive joined X in June 2023 from NBCUniversal, where she had served as chairwoman of global advertising and partnerships since 2011. Musk recruited Yaccarino specifically to focus on business operations while he concentrated on product design and new technology development.
Under Yaccarino’s leadership, X has maintained its position as the dominant platform for real-time conversations in the United States despite increased competition from platforms like Meta’s Threads.
The company introduced numerous product changes aimed at transforming the platform from a social discourse app into an “everything app” with multiple functions.
“We started with the critical early work necessary to prioritize the safety of our users—especially children, and to restore advertiser confidence,” Yaccarino said in her resignation statement. “This team has worked relentlessly from groundbreaking innovations like Community Notes, and, soon, X Money to bringing the most iconic voices and content to the platform.”
Yaccarino successfully led X’s efforts to challenge against coordinated advertising boycotts by liberals. Under her direction, X filed a high-profile antitrust lawsuit against the Global Alliance for Responsible Media, alleging the organization abused its influence to discriminate against the platform. The lawsuit proved effective, forcing the industry coalition to shut down operations.
Her tenure also saw X establish new partnerships with major sports leagues including the NFL and NBA, while creators and athletes like Khloé Kardashian and Midge Purce launched exclusive shows on the platform. The company also developed new features like its connected TV app and announced plans for a payments platform in partnership with Visa.
Yaccarino consistently defended X’s commitment to free speech principles throughout various challenges. She positioned the platform as standing “at a unique and amazing intersection of Free Speech and Main Street” and emphasized that “X is enabling an information independence that’s uncomfortable for some people.”
The former NBCUniversal executive, who holds conservative political views and served on President Donald Trump’s council on sports and nutrition during his first term, aligned with Musk’s vision of X as a “free speech absolutist” platform. She regularly supported the company’s legal challenges against organizations that attempted to pressure advertisers.
In May, eMarketer predicted that X’s advertising revenue would grow this year for the first time in four years, though it noted the revenue would still be approximately half of pre-acquisition levels. Yaccarino’s business leadership helped stabilize the platform during a period of significant transition.
Her departure comes as X enters what she described as “a new chapter with @xai.” The March merger between X and xAI created X.AI Holdings Corp, valuing the AI company at $80 billion and the social media company at $33 billion in an all-stock transaction.
“Now, the best is yet to come as X enters a new chapter with @xai,” Yaccarino said in her farewell message. “I’ll be cheering you all on as you continue to change the world. As always, I’ll see you on X.”