X CEO Linda Yaccarino leaves Elon Musk’s platform

Linda Yaccarino has officially stepped down as CEO of X (formerly Twitter), marking the end of her two-year tenure at the company.

Her resignation came just hours after the platform faced fresh backlash over controversial behaviour from its AI chatbot, Grok.

“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,” Yaccarino wrote in a public statement.

“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 noted.

However, Musk, the owner of X, responded briefly with, “Thank you for your contributions,” offering no further comment on who will take over the role.

While Yaccarino did not provide a direct reason for her departure, the timing raises questions.

Her resignation came shortly after Grok, the company’s AI chatbot, was taken offline following a widely criticised antisemitic rant.

The incident occurred just before the scheduled unveiling of Grok 4, adding further pressure to the platform’s leadership.

For those unversed, Yaccarino was appointed CEO shortly after Musk’s acquisition of Twitter, leaving her previous role as chairwoman of global advertising and partnerships at NBCUniversal.

Throughout her time at X, Yaccarino navigated a series of challenges, including advertiser pullouts after reports of extremist content on the platform and Musk’s endorsement of conspiracy theories.