As CEO of X, Linda Yaccarino had a cushy job, a fancy paycheck, and the ability to contribute to the future of tech. So why did she step down Tuesday?
It’s a tale as old as time: her “parents” were going through a divorce, and she had to pick sides. Elon Musk expert Kara Swisher said Tuesday that Yaccarino chose President Donald Trump over her own boss after both men erupted in a brutal and public fight on the platform.
“I’d guess she sided with Trump over Musk,” Swisher posted on Threads. “Also without the Trump card, it was likely going to be hard to shake down advertisers with the threat of lawsuits. And finally, Threads is close to being as big as X, along with competitors like Bluesky.”
After two incredible years, I’ve decided to step down as CEO of 𝕏. 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…
— Linda Yaccarino (@lindayaX) July 9, 2025
Yaccarino was hired by Musk as the first permanent CEO after the Tesla billionaire bought the platform in 2022. She faced several challenges in forming partnerships with the advertising world. For starters, her boss struggled to remain civil with advertisers, and even told them “go f— yourself” in late 2023 after their boycott.
Nevertheless, she led the platform for two years before announcing her resignation on Wednesday.
“After two incredible years, I’ve decided to step down as CEO of X,” she posted. “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.”
Musk replied with a terse, “Thank you for your contributions.”
Yaccarino led the charge to shift the platform away from moderated speech and allow certain comments and posts on the site that were not allowed before Musk’s ownership.
Other platforms have followed suit: Meta, for example, eliminated fact-checking earlier this year.
Yaccarino has kept a level head despite intense pressure from the marketing industry. Even after several high-profile figures urged her to step down in the midst of scandals—including Musk’s AI platform, Grok, being linked to antisemitic statements—Yaccarino continued to lead. She facilitated key partnerships with creators, influencers, and major organizations like the NFL and NBA.
She spearheaded serious lawsuits against major advertising coalitions, claiming that the group abused its influence over marketers and ad agencies and unfairly discriminating against X. The lawsuit eventually forced the industry’s brand safety coalition to close down and the Federal Trade Commission later launched investigations into ad groups that had similar boycotts.
But after Trump and Musk’s chaotic public brawl, Swisher said that Yaccarino knew she’d no longer be able to intimidate advertisers using the power of the president.
Plus, X has lost quite a bit of ad money already. Although eMarketer predicted in May that X’s ad revenue will grow this year for the first time since Musk’s takeover, it will still only be half of what it was in 2021. And X’s competitors are gaining fast.
So to avoid any future messy drama, Yaccarino evidently thought it best to throw the towel in once and for all.
The post Elon Musk Expert Says Trump Split Caused X CEO to Quit appeared first on The Daily Beast.
