Meet the New CEO of X: Linda Yaccarino Steps Down
Meet the New CEO of X: Linda Yaccarino Steps Down
After two years at the helm of Elon Musk's X, Linda Yaccarino has announced her resignation as CEO of the social media company. While her departure comes as a surprise to many, Yaccarino has left a lasting impact on X and the tech industry as a whole.
Yaccarino's Role at X
Yaccarino joined X in 2018, bringing her expertise from her previous roles at major media companies. She was tasked with leading X's expansion and improving its financial performance. During her tenure, X saw significant growth and launched new features, including live streaming and augmented reality filters.
The Next Chapter for X
With Yaccarino's departure, the question on everyone's mind is who will take over as CEO of X. While
About the People Mentioned
Linda Yaccarino
Linda Yaccarino is an American media executive known for her influential roles in advertising and media management. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree focusing on liberal arts and telecommunications from Pennsylvania State University. Yaccarino began her career at Turner Entertainment, where she served nearly two decades as Executive Vice President and COO of advertising sales, marketing, and acquisitions, overseeing networks including TNT and TBS. In 2011, she joined NBCUniversal, initially as president of cable entertainment and digital advertising sales. She rapidly advanced to become Chairman of Global Advertising and Partnerships, overseeing approximately 2,000 employees and managing over $10 billion in annual revenue. Yaccarino was instrumental in transforming NBCUniversal’s advertising business for the 21st century, pioneering strategies like One Portfolio and One Platform to integrate linear and digital advertising. She played a key role in the launch of the Peacock streaming service and worked to keep NBCUniversal competitive with major tech companies in digital advertising. She also chaired the World Economic Forum’s Taskforce on Future of Work and led the Advertising Council’s Board of Directors. In May 2023, Yaccarino resigned from NBCUniversal to become CEO of X (formerly Twitter), appointed by Elon Musk to lead the company’s business operations while Musk focused on product and technology. During her tenure at X, she emphasized resetting the advertising industry amid social media moderation changes and led high-profile legal actions against major advertising groups. After two years, Yaccarino stepped down from the CEO role in 2025. Subsequently, she became CEO of eMed, a telehealth company specializing in GLP-1 weight loss drugs. Throughout her career, Yaccarino has been recognized for her leadership and innovation in media and advertising, earning accolades from Forbes, The Hollywood Reporter, and Adweek. She is noted for shaping the economic and technology infrastructure behind media content delivery and advertising across multiple platforms.
Elon Musk
Elon Reeve Musk, born on June 28, 1971, in Pretoria, South Africa, is a prominent entrepreneur and business magnate known for founding and leading several transformative technology companies. He holds dual citizenship in Canada and the United States and earned bachelor's degrees in physics and economics from the University of Pennsylvania in 1997. Musk began his entrepreneurial career in the 1990s by co-founding Zip2, a software company, and later X.com, which evolved into PayPal, an online payment system acquired by eBay in 2002. In 2002, Musk founded SpaceX, a pioneering aerospace manufacturer and space transport services company, where he serves as CEO and chief engineer. SpaceX is notable for its advancements in reusable rocket technology and commercial spaceflight. In 2004, he joined Tesla Motors as an early investor and took on the roles of CEO and product architect in 2008, driving the company to the forefront of electric vehicle manufacturing. Musk also co-founded Neuralink in 2016, focusing on neurotechnology, and founded The Boring Company in 2017, which develops tunneling and infrastructure projects. In 2015, Musk co-founded OpenAI to promote artificial intelligence research but later left due to differences in vision, subsequently founding xAI. In 2022, he acquired the social media platform Twitter, rebranding it as X in 2023, and has been involved in various business and political activities, including a brief advisory role in the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency in early 2025. Musk is recognized as one of the wealthiest individuals globally, with an estimated net worth of $500 billion as of October 2025. His career is marked by significant influence across sectors including space exploration, electric vehicles, AI, social media, and infrastructure development, with ongoing legal and regulatory scrutiny related to his business practices and investments. He is also known for his complex personal life, including fathering 14 children[1][2][3].
About the Organizations Mentioned
X
## Overview X, formerly known as Twitter, is one of the world’s most influential social media and technology companies, renowned for its real-time communication platform that has shaped global discourse, news dissemination, and digital culture. Headquartered in San Francisco, California, X operates a microblogging service that allows users to post short messages (originally limited to 140 characters, later expanded to 280), share media, and engage in public and private conversations[2][4]. ## History X began as Twitter, launched in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey, Noah Glass, Biz Stone, and Evan Williams as a side project at Odeo, a podcasting company[2][4]. The platform quickly evolved from a simple status-update tool into a global hub for breaking news, political activism, and cultural trends. By 2012, it had over 100 million users posting 340 million tweets daily, and it went public in 2013 with a valuation exceeding $31 billion[2][4]. Over the years, Twitter acquired notable platforms like Vine (short-form video) and Periscope (live streaming), and introduced features such as algorithmic feeds, threaded conversations, and expanded media capabilities[2][4]. ## Key Achievements Twitter became a critical tool during major global events, notably the Arab Spring, where it facilitated protest coordination and real-time updates[4]. Its role in shaping public opinion, enabling celebrity-fan interactions, and serving as a primary news source for millions underscored its cultural and political significance. The platform’s innovations—such as hashtags, retweets, and verified accounts—set industry standards for social media engagement[4]. ## Current Status and Notable Developments In April 2022, Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, launched a $44 billion bid to acquire Twitter, culminating in a contentious acquisition process that concluded in October 2022[2][5][6]. Musk’s takeover brought sweeping changes: mass
