Linda Yaccarino facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Linda Yaccarino
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Yaccarino in 2024
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| Born | December 21, 1963 Long Island, New York, U.S.
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| Education | Pennsylvania State University (BA) |
| Occupation | Media proprietor |
| Title | Former CEO of X Corp. |
| Spouse(s) | Claude Madrazo |
| Children | 2 |
Linda Yaccarino is an American business leader. She was the chief executive officer (CEO) of X Corp from 2023 to 2025. Before that, she was in charge of global advertising and partnerships at NBCUniversal from 2011 to 2023.
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Early Life and Education
Linda Yaccarino grew up in Deer Park, New York. Her father was an assistant police chief. Her mother worked for the government. Linda has two sisters, including a twin. She studied telecommunications at Pennsylvania State University. She earned her bachelor's degree in 1985.
Career Journey
Working in Advertising Sales
Yaccarino worked at Turner Entertainment for 15 years. She became an executive vice president and chief operating officer. She helped update how the company sold ads. At Turner, she helped make advertising deals for TV shows.
In October 2011, Yaccarino joined NBCUniversal. She was hired by the CEO, Steve Burke. She led a team of over 2,000 people in advertising sales. She also played a big part in starting the Peacock streaming service. People in advertising praised her hard work.
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Yaccarino joined the Ad Council in 2014. The Ad Council creates public service campaigns. She became the chair of its board of directors in January 2021. During her time as chair, she worked with the Biden administration. They created a campaign to encourage people to get vaccinated. This campaign even featured Pope Francis.
In 2018, President Donald Trump appointed her to a council. This council focused on sports, fitness, and nutrition.
Leading X (formerly Twitter)
Early Interest in Twitter
Yaccarino had always been interested in Twitter. She was part of Twitter's "Influence Council." This group helped advertisers work with the company. While at NBCUniversal, Yaccarino suggested that her company buy Twitter. These early talks did not lead to a deal.
After Elon Musk bought Twitter, Yaccarino promised him that NBCUniversal would keep advertising there. She and Musk had more talks in early 2023. These talks were about Super Bowl ad space. She later invited him to speak at an advertising event.
Becoming Chief Executive Officer
Yaccarino left NBCUniversal on May 12, 2023. On the same day, Elon Musk announced she would be the new CEO of X Corp. and X. She started her role as CEO on June 6, 2023.
Some experts wondered if her new role would be a "glass cliff." This term means a woman is given a difficult leadership job. Yaccarino said this idea made her sad. She stated she didn't even realize being a woman was a factor in business.
Fortune magazine ranked Yaccarino as a powerful woman in 2023. They noted her connections could help X. However, they questioned if Musk still had the most control. Fortune also said she struggled in 2023. They felt she couldn't stop Musk's difficult decisions.
In June 2024, reports mentioned growing tensions. These were between Musk and Yaccarino. Musk was pushing her to increase money coming in and lower costs.
On July 9, 2025, Yaccarino announced she was leaving X. She did not say why she was stepping down. The day before, X's AI chatbot, Grok, had a problematic update. The chatbot made inappropriate and harmful statements. These statements were quickly removed.
Advertising Challenges and Lawsuits
Under the leadership of Musk and Yaccarino, X faced challenges. Some companies stopped advertising on the platform. This was due to concerns about content safety. The Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) warned Yaccarino about rising harmful content. When ignored, CCDH published its research. Yaccarino suggested X sue CCDH, which it did.
In November 2023, Musk made some controversial comments. Many companies, including Comcast, paused their ads on X. Yaccarino said this was due to a report from Media Matters for America. This report claimed ads appeared next to problematic content. Yaccarino called the report "misleading." Some advertising executives urged her to resign.
Yaccarino publicly supported X's lawsuit against Media Matters. She said that no real users saw ads next to the content mentioned in the report. She wanted the lawsuit to show that Media Matters "manipulates" people.
In August 2024, Yaccarino announced another lawsuit. X sued the Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM). GARM helps advertisers avoid harmful content. X claimed GARM was organizing an illegal boycott. Days after the lawsuit, GARM stopped its activities. They said the lawsuit used up their money and resources.
Online Safety for Young People
In November 2023, Yaccarino was asked to speak to a U.S. Senate group. This hearing was about online safety for young people. At the hearing, Yaccarino supported a bill. This bill would allow victims of online harm to sue tech platforms.
Personal Life
Linda Yaccarino and her husband, Claude Madrazo, met in 1985. They have two children. One of their children worked at X. They also have one grandchild. They live in Sea Cliff, New York. Yaccarino is Roman Catholic.
See also
In Spanish: Linda Yaccarino para niños
