"Linda Yaccarino’s doomed tenure: The CEO role at Musk’s X was a setup for failure"

In May 2023, when Linda Yaccarino, a former executive at a major media company, joined the platform then still called Twitter, she was tasked with a difficult challenge: rebuilding trust with major brands after a turbulent period under Elon Musk’s ownership. However, shortly after she became CEO, Musk made an inflammatory post targeting a specific religious group, leading companies such as Disney, Paramount, Lionsgate, and Warner Bros Discovery to halt their promotions on the platform. Musk later apologized during a public event, calling it his worst post, but his remarks took a sharp turn when he addressed advertisers, explicitly telling the head of Disney to "go fuck yourselves." Yaccarino was present at the event.

“If someone tries to pressure me with money or promotions, that’s my response,” he stated. “Is that clear? Hey Bob, if you’re listening, that’s how I feel.”

Since then, Yaccarino has faced the challenges of Musk’s unpredictable behavior, ongoing concerns over harmful content on the platform, worsening ties with major brands, and public criticism directed at her boss for his political affiliations. At times, she stayed quiet; in other instances, she publicly supported the company. Despite her title, analysts noted that Yaccarino never held full control.

“Elon Musk has always been the one truly in charge of the platform,” said Mike Proulx, a research director at Forrester. “From the beginning, her role was limited, making success unlikely. Her experience and actual influence aligned more with leading promotions, not overall leadership.”

Even in that narrower capacity, Musk’s frequent posts, abrupt choices, and focus on the platform avoiding what he called excessive political correctness created significant hurdles for Yaccarino.

“The only surprise is that she didn’t step down earlier,” Proulx added.

Recently, the platform’s AI tool, Grok, shared offensive comments, including praise for a notorious historical figure, after new guidelines allowed it to express controversial opinions if supported by evidence. The rules were later revised and the problematic instruction removed.

Yaccarino’s leadership was marked by repeated controversies surrounding discriminatory content—beginning and ending with Musk’s and Grok’s posts—along with frequent allegations against her boss during her brief time in charge. In 2023, a report by a digital watchdog highlighted the widespread presence of harmful speech on the platform and its insufficient controls.