Elon Musk confirms NBCUniversal exec Linda Yaccarino as next Twitter CEO

Elon Musk has revealed the identity of the woman who will replace him as Twitter as he takes as step back.

Elon Musk confirms NBCUniversal exec Linda Yaccarino as next Twitter CEO. (Photo by Angela Weiss and D Dipasupil / various sources / AFP)

Elon Musk has confirmed the identity of the new chief executive of Twitter.

He revealed her name a day after he said he would be handing over the reins.

The social media site owner has poached Linda Yaccarino the former advertising chief of media giant NBCUniversal as the next CEO of Twitter, concluding a months-long search for a successor to lead the embattled social media platform.

“I am excited to welcome Linda Yaccarino as the new CEO of Twitter!” Mr Musk tweeted. .

“(She) will focus primarily on business operations, while I focus on product design and new technology.

“Looking forward to working with Linda to transform this platform into X, the everything app.”

Mr Musk is shifting to a role as Twitter’s executive chairman and chief technology officer, reports the New York Post.

Elon Musk will step down as Twitter CEO. (Photo by Britta Pedersen / POOL / AFP)

A day earlier, Mr Musk tweeted that Twitter’s next CEO would take over in about six weeks.

Mr Musk’s tweet came hours after NBCUniversal, itself part of the media, theme parks and communications group Comcast, announced Ms Yaccarino was leaving her post “effectively immediately.”

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

“It has been an absolute honour to be part of Comcast NBCUniversal and lead the most incredible team,” Ms Yaccarino said in an earlier 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.”

Linda Yaccarino, formerly of NBCUniversal, will now call the shots at Twitter HQ – although Musk still owns the company. (Photo by Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images for The Girls' Lounge)

The announcement marks the latest step in Mr Musk’s ongoing overhaul of Twitter. The billionaire has said for months that he would step down as CEO as soon as he found a suitable replacement.

“I will resign as CEO as soon as I find someone foolish enough to take the job!” Mr Musk tweeted last December.

As CEO, Ms Yaccarino will be tasked with spearheading the company’s business as it places increased emphasis on its Twitter Blue subscription service and other new features.

She also will seek to boost relations with corporate advertisers, who fled in droves last year over Mr Musk’s chaotic changes to account verification and content moderation.

Twitter has been in turmoil. (Photo by Samantha Laurey / AFP)

Recent court filings revealed that Mr Musk had merged Twitter into a new firm called X Corp. Mr Musk has described his $66 billion acquisition of Twitter as an “accelerant” for this plans to build a super-app he calls “X.”

Mr Musk has suggested the app could be similar to Tencent-owned WeChat, which allows users access to an array of services ranging from payments to food delivery and beyond.

This story appeared in the New York Post and is reproduced with permission.