Elon Musk announced Linda Yaccarino as the future CEO of Twitter on Friday evening German time. However, the owner of the social network announced that he would continue to play a key role on Twitter. While she should primarily take care of the operational business, he wants to focus on product design and new technologies. Together with her, he plans to turn Twitter into “X, the app for everything”, Musk announced via Twitter. Yaccarino is scheduled to begin service in six weeks.
The personnel is considered by observers to be a clear indication of where Twitter’s greatest challenges currently lie. The 59-year-old has been working for the media group NBC Universal for over 11 years and is responsible for the worldwide advertising business and partnerships. Since starting her work at NBC Universal, she has generated more than $100 billion in advertising sales with the 2,000 employees who belong to her department, she writes about herself on the LinkedIn business network.
Contacts with Trump and many corporations
The New Yorker is considered to be well connected and enjoys a good reputation among advertising decision-makers. This is exactly what Musk and his 44 billion expensive acquisition can use right now, because the unconventional management methods of the SpaceX and Tesla founder have deterred some advertisers in recent months. More importantly, Musk’s commitment to “freedom of speech,” which he seeks to achieve through less regulation, has made advertisers cautious, reluctant to stand near hate speech and disinformation that threatens to thrive without effective oversight. Musk urgently needs ads, when he has declared that Twitter has experienced dramatic financial difficulties and is trying to change that with the subscription service Twitter Blue, but above all with advertising revenue.
The manager openly showed sympathy for the controversial Twitter owner in posts and after an interview she conducted with Musk at an advertising convention in Miami. Yaccarino is also likely to be politically on the same wavelength as Musk. She has previously advised former US President Donald Trump, whose return to Twitter enabled Musk. She also maintains contacts in the incumbent White House around President Joe Biden.
Musk’s fans are divided
However, those who expected a new CEO who is known to the general public will be disappointed. Musk will probably continue to be the dazzling figure. He had already indicated the personal details 24 hours before the name was announced – US media managed to find out Yaccarino’s name before Musk himself published the name on Friday morning California time.
Musk’s followers reacted ambivalently in the first reactions to his tweet. While some have argued that Musk is still in control and that Yaccarino is a good choice to boost revenue, some fear a stronger resumption of post regulation as a concession to advertisers. The stumbling block is a quote from Yaccarino, where she said she was in favor of freedom of speech, but not freedom of speech not reach.
(mki)
