X ad business under Linda Yaccarino: What changed and what’s next?
When Linda Yaccarino took the reins at X (formerly Twitter) in June 2023, the platform was in crisis. Major advertisers had pulled out, ad revenue had plummeted, and public trust in the network was shaky at best. But under her leadership, the X ad business saw a significant rebound. According to ad intelligence firm Guideline, U.S. ad spending on the platform jumped 62% year-over-year in the first half of 2025. Yaccarino also claimed that 96% of advertisers had returned by May 2025. While this momentum is promising, X is still far from financial stability. With Yaccarino stepping down, many are asking: can X maintain its progress in the ad space or will it backslide?
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Linda Yaccarino’s strategy to revive X ad business
Yaccarino’s legacy at X is closely tied to her deep background in ad sales at NBCUniversal, where she spent over a decade building global advertising and partnership strategies. She arrived at X during a turbulent time—just months after Elon Musk’s acquisition led to massive staff cuts, especially in trust and safety, sparking a surge in misinformation and hate speech. These conditions drove away top-tier advertisers, with 14 of the top 30 brands halting campaigns and others slashing spending by over 90%. Yaccarino’s strategy focused on rebuilding relationships with brands, offering clearer ad guidelines, and promoting brand safety. Her corporate polish and long-standing ad industry relationships were instrumental in restoring advertiser confidence.
The rebound wasn’t instant—but it was real
While Yaccarino leaves behind an X ad business in a better place, the road to recovery wasn’t fast or smooth. Guideline data shows that from Q3 2022 to Q3 2024, X lost 89% of its U.S. ad dollars—a staggering decline that began even before Musk’s official takeover. Rebuilding from such losses required aggressive outreach to advertisers, recalibrating ad formats, and rebuilding trust through policy updates and new brand safety measures. Still, even with a 62% year-over-year gain in early 2025, the platform has yet to return to pre-Musk revenue levels. Advertisers may have returned in name, but their spend hasn’t fully rebounded, and concerns remain about content moderation and platform stability.
Tough times ahead for X post-Yaccarino
Despite these gains, X faces a challenging future without Yaccarino. The platform is still heavily reliant on advertising as its primary revenue stream. Efforts to diversify through X Premium subscriptions and the upcoming X Money payments platform are still in early stages and not contributing significant revenue yet. This leaves X vulnerable to another advertiser exodus if trust slips again. With Yaccarino’s departure, the company loses not just a skilled ad executive but also a stabilizing force between advertisers and the sometimes volatile leadership at the top. The sustainability of the X ad business under Linda Yaccarino was tied to her expertise and network. Whoever steps in next will need to balance innovation with reassurance to prevent the gains from unraveling.
The X ad business under Linda Yaccarino made meaningful progress, proving that even a platform in crisis can rebound with the right leadership. But with her departure, the company enters a critical phase. It must maintain advertiser trust, scale its new monetization efforts, and manage internal chaos—all without the steady hand that helped guide it through the storm. For now, the ad dollars are coming back, but the long-term outlook depends on what comes next.
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