Who's leaving Elon Musk? Linda Yaccarino, 14 other top executives quit in last 12 months
In a post on X, Yaccarino thanked Elon Musk for 'transforming X into the Everything App'.
'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 with the responsibility of protecting free speech, turning the company around, and transforming X into the Everything App,' she wrote.
Calling her stint remarkable, the former X CEO said, 'I'm incredibly proud of the X team - the historic business turn around we have accomplished together has been nothing short of remarkable.'
Linda Yaccarino joined X in June of 2023, making her stint at the Elon Musk-owned social media platform last a little over two years.
Prior to joining X, she served as the chair of NBCUniversal Media's global advertising and partnerships.
Yaccarino did not specify the exact reason behind her departure from the company, though X has had its share of troubles ever since Musk took over it around six months prior to her joining. Many users, too, have left the social media platform following Musk's takeover of X.
According to a report by Fortune, not just Yaccarino, at least 14 other top leaders from companies owned by Elon Musk have departed over the past year as the billionaire continues to dig deeper into political affairs, a matter that has had a direct impact on his companies, including Tesla. Omead Afshar: Former head of sales in North America and Europe at Tesla, seen as Musk's proxy during his DOGE stint; quit Tesla in June 2025.
Jenna Ferrua: Former director of HR at Tesla, worked for seven years at the EV-making company; departed Tesla in June 2025.
Milan Kovac: Ex-head of the Optimus humanoid robot team at Tesla, was the 'brains behind CEO Elon Musk's trillion-dollar dream of a robot future' as per Fortune; quit the company in June 2025.
Vineet Mehta: The former head of battery architecture at Tesla worked at the company for 18 years and departed in May 2025.
Mark Westfall: Ex-head of mechanical engineering at Tesla Energy, spent a decade at the company; left Tesla in April 2025.
Brett Weitz: Former global head of content, talent and brand sales at X, spearheaded X's Originals documentary-style video series; departed in June 2025.
David Lau: Ex-vice president of software engineering at Tesla, worked at Musk's company for 12 years; left Tesla in April 2025.
Dave Heinzinger: Former head of media strategy at X, lasted four months at the company and quit citing personal reasons; departed in March 2025.
Haofei Wang: Ex-head of product engineering at X, worked closely with Elon Musk and was the bridge between him and engineering department; quit X in March 2025.
Tom Ochinero: Former vice president of commercial business at SpaceX, one of the few high-ranking executives to leave the company; departed SpaceX in February 2024.
Nick Pickles: Former vice president of global affairs at X, worked for a decade shaping X's public policy affairs; left the company in September 2024.
Renato Leite Monteiro: Ex-global data protection officer at X, left the company to take 'personal time off'; left X in September 2024.
David Zhang: Former roadster and next-generation vehicle program manager at Tesla, was the manager behind Tesla's iconic Cybertruck; he quit the company in July 2024
Joe Benarroch: Former head of operations at X, restructured the company following mass layoffs; quit X in June 2024.
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