Linda Yaccarino resigns as X CEO: Who could replace her? Is Elon Musk running for CEO?

X CEO Linda Yaccarino on Wednesday announced that she is stepping down from her role, thanking Elon Musk and her colleagues for the opportunity

Updated on: Jul 9, 2025, 20:51:37 IST

By Yash Nitish Bajaj

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X CEO Linda Yaccarino on Wednesday announced that she is stepping down from her role, thanking Elon Musk and her colleagues for the opportunity. The 61-year-old had taken over as the first permanent CEO Elon Musk hired after buying the platform, formerly known as Twitter, in 2022.

Linda Yaccarino stepped down as X CEO on Wednesday (AFP)

"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," Yaccarino said.

"I'm incredibly proud of the X team - the historic business turnaround we have accomplished together has been nothing short of remarkable," she added.

“We started with the critical early work necessary to prioritize the safety of our users—especially children, and to restore advertiser confidence. This team has worked relentlessly from groundbreaking innovations like Community Notes, and, soon, X Money to bringing the most iconic voices and content to the platform. Now, the best is yet to come as X enters a new chapter with @xai.”

Who could replace Linda Yaccarino as X CEO?

Internal promotion?

Elon Musk might promote from within those who joined under Yaccarino and have media or ad experience. Angela Zepeda (head of global marketing) and Mahmoud Reza Banki (Chief Financial Officer) are some of the top execs at the company currently.

xAI leadership

Given X’s recent acquisition by xAI, someone from xAI’s leadership, like a high-ranking executive, could be tapped to align X with xAI’s strategy.

External veterans

Musk could recruit another heavyweight, similar to Yaccarino’s NBCUniversal background, to rebuild advertiser trust.

Musk running for CEO?

Elon Musk could temporarily reclaim the CEO role, as he did post-acquisition in 2022, while searching for a permanent hire. The billionaire is yet to confirm his interest.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yash Nitish Bajaj
Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. A passionate NFL fan, Yash is a die-hard supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals and has followed Joe Burrow closely since his college days at LSU. Whether breaking down top players' latest performance, analyzing team performances, or tracking roster moves, he brings the same dedication and sharp storytelling to his sports coverage as he does to American politics and breaking news. When he’s not writing, Yash can often be found watching games or debating the latest NFL storylines with fellow fans. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.Read More

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