X CEO Yaccarino quits after two years

Linda Yaccarino, chief executive officer of X Corp., at the VivaTech conference in Paris, France, on Friday, May 24, 2024. The annual startup and technology events runs until May 25. — Yaccarino has not yet offered an official explanation for her exit

(Image credit: Benjamin Girette / Bloomberg via Getty Images)

What happened

Elon Musk's handpicked choice to lead his X social media platform Wednesday announced her resignation after a two-year tenure as CEO. Linda Yaccarino leaves less than four months after Musk consolidated the company into his xAI artificial intelligence project, a move that "raised questions" about her "role in the new company going forward," said CNN.

Who said what

Running X has been a "challenge," said The New York Times, "especially with the platform facing constant questions over its content." While Musk has been "largely unapologetic" about offensive content on X, Yaccarino spent much of her time at the company "appeasing lawmakers and advertisers."

Yaccarino was a "striking foil" to the "mercurial and controversy-courting Musk," said NPR. In her X post announcing her resignation, she thanked Musk for "entrusting me with the responsibility of protecting free speech, turning the company around and transforming X into the everything app." In a brief response, Musk said: "Thank you for your contributions."

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What next?

Yaccarino has yet to offer an official explanation for her exit, and neither she nor Musk has said who might replace her at X.

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Rafi Schwartz has worked as a politics writer at The Week since 2022, where he covers elections, Congress and the White House. He was previously a contributing writer with Mic focusing largely on politics, a senior writer with Splinter News, a staff writer for Fusion's news lab, and the managing editor of Heeb Magazine, a Jewish life and culture publication. Rafi's work has appeared in Rolling Stone, GOOD and The Forward, among others.