X Corp, the social media juggernaut owned by Elon Musk, just lost another key player in its executive lineup. John Nitti, the global head of revenue operations and advertising innovation, walked away from his role last Friday after a mere 10 months on the job, as Breitbart reports. This isn’t just a blip; it’s part of a troubling pattern at Musk’s empire that’s raising eyebrows.
The latest departure at X Corp is just one chapter in a saga of executive turnover that spans both X Corp and Musk’s AI venture, xAI.
Let’s rewind to January, when Nitti, a seasoned Verizon executive, joined X Corp with high hopes and a hefty title. He was even floated as a possible successor to former CEO Linda Yaccarino before her resignation in July after two years at the helm.
Post-Yaccarino, X Corp split her duties among leaders like Nitti and Angela Zepeda, the global head of marketing. But apparently, that wasn’t enough to keep Nitti on board for even a full year.
Meanwhile, the turnover isn’t limited to X Corp—over at xAI, Musk’s artificial intelligence startup, the chief financial officer, Mike Liberatore, quit after just three months. The general counsel, Robert Keele, also packed his bags, adding to the sense of instability.
Back at X Corp, the chief financial officer, Mahmoud Reza Banki, announced his exit earlier this month after less than a year in the role. It’s starting to look like a revolving door over there, and not the fancy kind.
Insiders point to a common thread behind these departures: frustration with Musk’s hands-on approach and sudden shifts in strategy. Executives reportedly struggle to pursue their own goals when the boss keeps changing the playbook mid-game. It’s like trying to build a house while someone keeps moving the foundation.
Nitti, in particular, grew weary of Musk’s handling of the advertising business, an area under intense pressure to boost revenue. Musk’s hefty investments in infrastructure and chips to rival AI giants like OpenAI and Google’s DeepMind aren’t cheap, and ad leaders are feeling the heat.
Adding fuel to the fire, Musk made unilateral calls on advertising—like banning hashtags from ads on X Corp—that left some advertisers scratching their heads. If you’re trying to win over brands in a competitive market, sidelining their input isn’t exactly a winning strategy.
Then there’s the matter of Musk’s distractions during his stint in Donald Trump’s administration, which wrapped up over the summer after a public falling out with the president. During that time, decisions on advertising were made without consulting the very leaders tasked with managing it. Talk about a recipe for frustration.
While there are no direct quotes from Nitti or others to capture their exact sentiments, the pattern of exits speaks louder than words. The silence from the departing executives is almost deafening—perhaps they’re letting their resignations do the talking.
Still, it’s worth noting that not all hope is lost for Musk’s ventures, as both X Corp and xAI are working to fill the leadership gaps. Earlier this month, xAI tapped Anthony Armstrong, a former Morgan Stanley banker who advised on Musk’s $44 billion takeover of X Corp, as its new CFO.
These new appointments might help steady the ship, but the question remains: will they stick around long enough to make a difference? Musk’s vision for innovation is undeniable, but even the sharpest minds need room to execute without constant interference.
From a conservative angle, there’s something to admire in Musk’s refusal to bow to the progressive agenda that often stifles business with overregulation and woke posturing. Yet, if his management style keeps driving talent away, even the most ambitious projects could stall—hardly the free-market success story we’d root for.
Ultimately, X Corp and xAI need stability to thrive in cutthroat industries like social media and AI. Musk’s maverick approach has its merits, but a little more trust in his team might go a long way. Here’s hoping the next round of leaders gets a fair shot to build something lasting, without the rug being pulled out from under them.
