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Twitter/X CEO and Prime Glass Cliff candidate Linda Yacarino appeared at the 2023 Code Conference on September 27, talking to CNBC’s Julia Borsten about the platform formerly known as Twitter. Unfortunately, his answers about the company’s direction weren’t satisfactory — and also hinted at a possible breakdown in communication with owner Elon Musk.
A key moment in the middle of Yaccarino’s 40-minute interview indicated that the CEO may have been unaware of Musk’s plans to impose a mandatory monthly fee for users on Twitter/X. Musk announced his intention to implement the change earlier this month, saying it was the “only way” he could think of to combat bots.
However, when asked to confirm Musk’s plans to turn Twitter/X into a paid website, Yacarino was unavailable and unable to answer any questions about it.
Elon Musk may lead the charge for the next Twitter/X.
“Did he say we’re headed specifically for him, or is he just thinking about it?” Yacarino inquired after first asking Borsten to repeat the question.
“He said that’s the plan,” Borsten replied. “Did he consult you before making the announcement?”
“We talk about everything,” Yacarino said, refusing to answer directly, sounding horrified as if defending his terrible partner to his friends.
Yaccarino then dodged the question for several minutes, despite it being put to him a third time, choosing instead to shift the focus to his role at Twitter/X and praise Musk.
“Who wouldn’t want Elon Musk sitting next to them, running the product?” Yacarino asked, showing a remarkable inability to monitor public opinion or read the room.
Although fictitious, his question was met with laughter from the crowd, Borsten notes that there was a “show of hands”.
Yacarino insisted. “But I’d say the percentage in this room is about 99 percent, ‘Who’s going to say no to that?’ And maybe a percentage of personal opinion [and] feelings.”
Musk has faced widespread criticism of Twitter/X’s leadership since acquiring the company in late 2022. Consumers and advertisers alike have fled the platform, which now costs about a third of what Musk is paying, and continues to do so. An endless parade of wildly unpopular changes. Considering this, it would be fair to conclude that the proportion of people willing to have Musk as a partner is well below 99%.
Twitter/X just fired half of its election integrity team.
Yaccarino also spent some time responding to comments from surprise conference guest Joel Roth. Twitter’s former head of trust and safety has been a vocal critic of Musk, and he hasn’t been shy about how the billionaire has put him personally at risk.
“I work at X, he worked at Twitter,” Yacarino said, ignoring the fact that it’s literally the same company with a different name. “X is a new company, building a foundation based on freedom of expression and freedom of expression.”
If there’s a silver lining, it’s that Yacarino’s apparent ignorance of Musk’s monetization plans may indicate that it hasn’t been seriously discussed. This may indicate that it will not be implemented—or at least not for a while. But if anyone was hoping Yaccarino would accept accountability for Twitter/X’s missteps, or at least Musk’s wishes, they’re likely to be disappointed.
