Has Linda Yaccarino achieved a stroke of genius with the CEO position at X – or will it be an ejection seat for her? Your chances depend crucially on how far owner Elon Musk pushes his freedom of speech.
The text message caught Linda Yaccarino off guard. It was May 11, and NBCUniversal’s advertising chief was in the middle of rehearsals for Upfront, the annual marketing showcase for upcoming TV programs. The event, scheduled in four days at New York’s Radio City Music Hall, would give Yaccarino her preferred space: middle of the stage.
In the conference room on the 51st floor of 30 Rockefeller Plaza at NBC Studios’ New York headquarters, Yaccarino had made a few small corrections to her teleprompter text. With her was her deputy, Joe Benarroch, and a few other people. Without knowing it, Yaccarino became the focus of news while at work after Elon Musk tweeted, “I’m pleased to announce that I have hired a new CEO for X/Twitter. She will start in approximately six weeks!”
The message that popped up on Yaccarino’s phone screen read: “Is ‘she’ you…?”
It was her.
Source: Stern
