Twitter has a new CEO.
On Thursday, Elon Musk announced that he would be handing the role of chief executive at the social media company to former NBCUniversal exec Linda Yaccarino.
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The announcement of Yaccarino’s selection came a day after Musk had shared the news that he had hired a new CEO for Twitter.
Musk explained that in her role, Yaccarino “will focus primarily on business operations, while I focus on product design & new technology.”
I am excited to welcome Linda Yaccarino as the new CEO of Twitter!@LindaYacc will focus primarily on business operations, while I focus on product design & new technology.
Looking forward to working with Linda to transform this platform into X, the everything app. https://t.co/TiSJtTWuky
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 12, 2023
For his part, Musk, who purchased Twitter for $44 billion last year, will remain onboard as executive chair and chief technology officer, overseeing software and system operations.
He also expressed his intention to work with Yaccarino “to transform this platform into X, the everything app.”
Yaccarino was previously chairman of global advertising and partnerships, and her departure was also announced on Friday.
“It has been an absolute honor to be part of Comcast NBCUniversal and lead the most incredible team,” she said in a statement. “We’ve transformed our company and the entire industry—and I am so proud of what we’ve accomplished together, and grateful to my colleagues and mentors, especially Brian Roberts, Mike Cavanagh and the entire NBCU leadership team.”
Musk promised he would step down as CEO of Twitter in December, after users voted that he should resign in a poll he’d posted.
I will resign as CEO as soon as I find someone foolish enough to take the job! After that, I will just run the software & servers teams.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 21, 2022
In April, Yaccarino interviewed Musk onstage at MMA’s POSSIBLE Miami marketing event.
The new CEO is already facing serious scrutiny from Twitter users over her political affiliations, with many noting her work for the Donald Trump administration’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition, as well as her following right-wing accounts on Twitter.
New Twitter CEO Linda Yaccarino seems like a certified MAGA supporter. She also follows:
– Sidney Powell
– Lin Wood
– Jack Posobiec
– Libs of TikTok
– Ian Miles Cheung
– Andrew Sullivan
– Richard Grenell
– Tim Scott
– Mike Pompeo— Max Berger (@maxberger) May 11, 2023
Musk’s rocky tenure as owner and CEO of Twitter has continued since he purchased the company last year, including a new report from NBC News about the recent proliferation of animal abuse videos on the platform.
