Failed X CEO declares victory on her way out as app bleeds users and cash

Linda Yaccarino resigned as CEO of X on Wednesday, declaring victory in implementing Elon Musk’s vision for the platform. 

“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.

Protecting “free speech” for Nazis has certainly been important to Musk, as his own AI chatbot has fondly proven—literally the day before Yaccarino’s resignation. But he certainly doesn’t believe in the free speech of companies that don’t want to advertise on a Nazi-enabling platform, suing them for pulling their advertising. And let’s not forget Musk’s blocking of links to rivals like Mastodon and other social media sites. 

President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference with Elon Musk in the Oval Office of the White House, Friday, May 30, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Elon Musk in the Oval Office with President Donald Trump

Whether the company has “turned around” is debatable, and there certainly aren’t any transparent financials to support that claim. X touted a win after raising $1 billion in new financing at a $32 billion valuation—down from the $44 billion that Musk paid for it. 

While that was higher than analysts expected, much of the bump coincided with Musk’s bromance with President Donald Trump and his growing influence in the administration. “Investments” in Trumpworld have a way of getting inflated by those seeking access and favors from corrupt oligarch overlords.

But we do know that the platform is hemorrhaging users. According to Similarweb, X had 388.5 million mobile users when Yaccarino took the job in June 2023. As of last month? It’s down to 311.1 million. That’s a loss of more than 75 million users—a 20% decline. In other words, 1 in 5 users has bailed.

Then there’s Yaccarino’s final claim, that she transformed X into “the Everything App.” Which is funny because … she didn’t.

This refers to Musk’s repeated desire to turn X into a U.S. version of China’s WeChat. 

“In the months to come, we will add comprehensive communications and the ability to conduct your entire financial world,” he wrote on X in July 2023, a month after hiring Yaccarino. That was two years ago.

Cartoon by Jack Ohman

According to The Guardian, WeChat is so prominent in China that it’s nearly impossible to navigate without it. The app, owned by the Chinese tech giant Tencent, is used for messaging, social media, payments, subscriptions, utility bills, food deliveries, transportation tickets, ride-sharing services, and more.

By contrast, X remains … X. The same toxic cesspool, now with a Nazi AI attached. It’s not a super app with financial tools and killer features. It’s just empty promises, user loss, and legal drama.

So what, exactly, did Yaccarino transform?

Even Musk didn’t bother pretending to care about her resignation, simply responding with a frosty, “Thank you for your contributions.” 

Then he moved on to posting about everything else except her.

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