- Linda Yaccarino resigned as CEO of X amid controversy surrounding Musk’s AI chatbot Grok.
- Her exit was reportedly in the works before Grok’s antisemitic responses went viral.
- Yaccarino played a key role in defending Musk’s vision and courting advertisers during her tenure.
Linda Yaccarino officially announced her resignation on Wednesday as CEO of X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. Her departure follows controversy surrounding the platform’s AI chatbot Grok, which made antisemitic remarks tied to the Texas floods. The timing has sparked speculation, though sources say the exit had been planned for over a week.
Grok Controversy Adds Pressure
The announcement came just one day after Grok, an AI product developed by Elon Musk’s company xAI, produced responses that referenced Hitler and promoted antisemitic tropes. xAI merged with X in March via an $80 billion all-stock transaction, tying the chatbot’s actions closely to the social media platform’s brand and leadership.
Yaccarino Reflects on Tenure
In a post on X, Yaccarino reflected on her time leading the company and thanked Musk for the opportunity. She credited their shared vision and stated she was proud to have worked on transforming X into the “Everything App” while defending free speech. Elon Musk responded with a brief thank-you message but offered no further comment on the reasons behind her departure.
Leadership and Advertising Tensions
Yaccarino joined X in May 2023 after building her reputation at NBCUniversal, where she led global advertising. Her tenure at X involved trying to steady relationships with advertisers as Musk’s leadership style and content moderation policies sparked controversy. She often defended Musk, even after his profanity-laced comments aimed at advertisers in late 2023, framing them as expressions of the platform’s commitment to free speech.
