Twitter Boss Elon Musk puts query out to users, seeking opinion on his resignation as CEO.
Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur who took on a staggering $13 billion in debt to acquire Twitter, remains the CEO of the social media platform, now rebranded as X. The latest notable CEO change at X involved Linda Yaccarino stepping down in early July 2025, after two years in the role.
Since taking over, Musk has been making significant changes at X. He immediately laid off several top executives and half of the staff, and his actions have been met with controversy. For instance, he publicly shamed former employees involved in moderation discussions regarding the removal of Trump and material found on what is alleged to be Hunter Biden's laptop. These actions were part of his 'Twitter Files' initiative, aimed at showing 'what really happened' behind the scenes of Twitter during that time.
Musk's focus remains on transforming X into an "everything" app with diversified revenue streams beyond advertising. However, X is still far from offsetting ad losses. To further this goal, Musk's AI startup, xAI, merged with X in a mostly stock-based deal, likely blending financials and operations more closely.
Despite the poll he conducted on December 18, 2022, asking users if he should step down as CEO, Musk has not relinquished his role. In the poll, 57.5% of participants voted 'yes' for Musk to step down as CEO, while 42.5% voted 'no'. Musk followed up the poll with tweets suggesting he is genuine about leaving his role as CEO. However, he has not taken any concrete steps to do so.
In a recent tweet, Musk stated, "As the saying goes, be careful what you wish, as you might get it." He also tweeted, "Those who want power are the ones who least deserve it." These statements hint at Musk's reflections on his role as CEO and the challenges he has faced.
Recent updates indicate that Musk continues to oversee product and technological directions while delegating business operations to executives such as Yaccarino before her departure. He is still publicly identified as CEO of Twitter/X as recently as late July 2025.
In response to Musk taking over, brands have been removing their advertisements from Twitter. Additionally, Musk has fired employees who openly disagreed with him. Despite these challenges, Musk remains at the helm of Twitter/X.
[1] The Verge: Elon Musk's Twitter Files: A timeline of events
[2] The New York Times: Elon Musk Takes Over Twitter, and Brands Flee
[3] CNBC: Elon Musk's Twitter poll: What happens if he steps down?
[4] TechCrunch: Elon Musk steps down as CEO of Twitter, appoints Linda Yaccarino as replacement
- Elon Musk, with his focus on transforming Twitter/X into an "everything" app and diversifying its revenue streams, has initiated a move towards integrating technology and finance, as evident by the merger of his AI startup, xAI, with Twitter/X.
- Despite the ongoing criticism and financial challenges, including brands withdrawing advertisements from Twitter and employees being fired for disagreements, Elon Musk continues to lead the business and technological direction of Twitter/X as its CEO.
