• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Iran strikes 85 U.S. military sites in the Gulf, sparking a global selloff in stocks and a spike in the price of oil

2

Ex-PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi worked from midnight until 5 a.m. as a receptionist to pay for her Yale degree—and she says ‘respect went up’ because of it

3

Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary says if he were 25 today, he'd chase these two booming opportunities in the world of AI

1

Iran strikes 85 U.S. military sites in the Gulf, sparking a global selloff in stocks and a spike in the price of oil

2

Ex-PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi worked from midnight until 5 a.m. as a receptionist to pay for her Yale degree—and she says ‘respect went up’ because of it

3

Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary says if he were 25 today, he'd chase these two booming opportunities in the world of AI
TechElon Musk

Linda Yaccarino’s right-hand man out at X as global operations chief reportedly given the sack

Christiaan Hetzner
By
Christiaan Hetzner
Christiaan Hetzner
Senior Reporter
Down Arrow Button Icon
Christiaan Hetzner
By
Christiaan Hetzner
Christiaan Hetzner
Senior Reporter
Down Arrow Button Icon
June 24, 2024, 8:25 AM ET
Linda Yaccarino, chief executive officer of X Corp., at the VivaTech conference in Paris, France, on Friday, May 24, 2024. The annual startup and technology events runs until May 25. Photographer: Benjamin Girette/Bloomberg via Getty Images
X CEO Linda Yaccarino was all smiles at Cannes, but financial troubles at Elon Musk’s social media company are forcing her hand.Benjamin Girette—Bloomberg/Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Working for Elon Musk can be the very definition of precarious employment. The entire Tesla Supercharger staff found that out the hard way when they were collectively given the sack with little explanation. 

Recommended Video

Now it’s Joe Benarroch’s turn. The former head of global business operations for X—personally hired by CEO Linda Yaccarino just days into her job—is out after barely more than a year, according to his profile on LinkedIn. 

And the former NBCUniversal global advertising chair could herself be in the crosshairs, according to a report by the Financial Times on Sunday. Citing anonymous informed sources, the FT wrote that Yaccarino felt pressured to shake up her management team, firing Benarroch for allegedly failing to properly flag clients in advance that X would soon permit the consensual sharing of porn, citing three sources at the company. (Pornography has long been present on Twitter, but it was not officially permitted previously.)

While Benarroch’s reported blindsiding of clients could clearly have negative effects, Musk himself has also provided reasons for them to feel confused. Musk attempted to lure popular streamers away from Twitch by shaming the Amazon-owned rival over its failure to police its own platform for adult content. Flip-flopping just weeks later to make porn officially permissible content was bound to be controversial.

NUDES IN BIO

— dream (@dreamwastaken) May 20, 2024

When approached by Fortune for comment, X replied with the automated statement, “Busy now, please check back later.” Benarroch did not respond on X to a request for comment.

Musk’s social media platform has labored under heavy losses ever since he added $1 billion in annual interest to its cost base in order to fund his $44 billion acquisition in late October 2022. 

While X remains a privately owned company, its problems potentially threaten to spill over to Tesla, as the EV manufacturer is the main source of wealth for Musk and share sales have been used to finance his Twitter endeavor. Tesla stock is down 50% since Musk’s interest in the social media platform became public in April 2022.

In September, Yaccarino suggested X could actually turn a profit in early 2024. But an investigation by a nonprofit showing evidence that X had placed ads next to pro-Nazi posts subsequently triggered an exodus of advertisers from companies like Disney and ignited fresh worries over a possible financial collapse. Instead of diplomacy, Musk opted to go on the attack, threatening to name and shame advertisers in the event of X’s bankruptcy. 

Direct threat to Yaccarino’s authority

Musk appears unsatisfied with the pace of improvement at X and recently tapped his Boring Co. CEO Steve Davis to have a closer look at its cost base in what Yaccarino confidants told the FT was a direct challenge to her authority.

Yaccarino herself has faced constant speculation she is little more than a puppet CEO installed to take the heat off Musk’s management of the company and, when necessary, fall on any grenades for the centibillionaire. 

When she opened up last week about her difficulties in overcoming impostor syndrome—the feeling that one hasn’t truly earned their status and position—she was asked what was the best message she had ever received from him. 

Welcome to the flock, @benarroch_joe! From one bird to the next.

Let’s get to work @Twitter! #timetofly

— Linda Yaccarino (@lindayaX) June 4, 2023

Rather than cite an example of how he builds her up or encourages her to achieve her best, the first thing that came to Yaccarino’s mind was the day Musk announced her hire—not anything that happened in the 13 months since.

Yaccarino’s room to maneuver already was limited amid the ongoing losses, and now she has to bear the blame for having personally vouched for Benarroch, her former aide, in the first place. 

Unless Yaccarino can better tap into her extensive Rolodex to lure back her contacts in the ad industry, Benarroch may not be the only former NBCUniversal executive to find themselves updating their LinkedIn profile.

About the Author
Christiaan Hetzner
By Christiaan HetznerSenior Reporter
Instagram iconLinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Christiaan Hetzner is a former writer for Fortune, where he covered Europe’s changing business landscape.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

a man having chair still by the window in the office
EconomyLabor
Labor force participation falls to 61.5%, the lowest in 50 years outside COVID, and economists say it’s not just people giving up
By Catherina GioinoJuly 8, 2026
5 hours ago
Man in collared shirt and jacket
Big TechAmazon
Amazon’s $25 billion ‘surprise’ bond sale dangled extra yield to lure in buyers—and flashed a warning sign about the AI boom
By Amanda GerutJuly 8, 2026
7 hours ago
Bezos’ Blue Origin is raising outside capital for the first time to compete for NASA contracts as rival SpaceX’s stock falters
InvestingJeff Bezos
Bezos’ Blue Origin is raising outside capital for the first time to compete for NASA contracts as rival SpaceX’s stock falters
By Mia OsmonbekovJuly 8, 2026
8 hours ago
Cathie Wood just bought the SpaceX dip again—and dumped Alibaba to do it
InvestingCathie Wood
Cathie Wood just bought the SpaceX dip again—and dumped Alibaba to do it
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJuly 8, 2026
9 hours ago
How Qualcomm’s CIO is placing big bets on AI to support the chip company’s diversification push
NewslettersCIO Intelligence
How Qualcomm’s CIO is placing big bets on AI to support the chip company’s diversification push
By John KellJuly 8, 2026
9 hours ago
Jonathan Bensamoun (right) sits on a stool next to his German Shepherd
InnovationPet Tech
Exclusive: Fi is bringing Starlink satellite technology to dog collars
By Lily Mae LazarusJuly 8, 2026
10 hours ago

Most Popular

Iran strikes 85 U.S. military sites in the Gulf, sparking a global selloff in stocks and a spike in the price of oil
Newsletters
Iran strikes 85 U.S. military sites in the Gulf, sparking a global selloff in stocks and a spike in the price of oil
By Jim EdwardsJuly 8, 2026
17 hours ago
Ex-PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi worked from midnight until 5 a.m. as a receptionist to pay for her Yale degree—and she says ‘respect went up’ because of it
Success
Ex-PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi worked from midnight until 5 a.m. as a receptionist to pay for her Yale degree—and she says ‘respect went up’ because of it
By Preston ForeJuly 6, 2026
2 days ago
Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary says if he were 25 today, he'd chase these two booming opportunities in the world of AI
AI
Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary says if he were 25 today, he'd chase these two booming opportunities in the world of AI
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJuly 5, 2026
4 days ago
Current price of oil as of July 8, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of July 8, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 8, 2026
14 hours ago
Billionaires John and Laura Arnold have already donated nearly half their wealth. Now they're funding a hunt for the health risks of sports betting
Success
Billionaires John and Laura Arnold have already donated nearly half their wealth. Now they're funding a hunt for the health risks of sports betting
By Sydney LakeJuly 8, 2026
20 hours ago
$25 billion CEO says one-hour interviews are a waste of time—he puts candidates through six hours of tests and wants them to order wine at lunch
Success
$25 billion CEO says one-hour interviews are a waste of time—he puts candidates through six hours of tests and wants them to order wine at lunch
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJuly 3, 2026
6 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.