- Ad execs are reportedly reaching out to X CEO Linda Yaccarino and advising her to resign.
- X and Elon Musk have faced backlash after the billionaire endorsed an antisemitic post on X.
- One executive told Axios she needs to “save” her reputation.
Advertising executives have been reaching out to X CEO Linda Yaccarino and advising her to leave the social media company, according to reports from multiple outlets.
X owner Elon Musk has faced an onslaught of criticism on Thursday after he responded positively to a post on X from a user who said “Jewish communities” had been pushing hatred “against whites.”
“You have said the actual truth,” Musk wrote in response to the antisemitic post, which appeared to echo the “great replacement” conspiracy theory — a racist ideology that white supremacists subscribe to that contends that non-white immigrants coming to the US and other western countries are replacing white populations. It’s oftentimes invoked against Jewish supporters of immigration.
Musk’s post received swift backlash, as some tech leaders, Tesla investors, and even the White House spoke out against the billionaire’s behavior on social media.
Musk later said in a post that he was not antisemitic. “Nothing could be further from the truth,” Musk wrote on X.
Musk, who loosened content moderation rules since buying X, has also sought to defend himself against complaints of antisemitism on the platform, saying on Friday that he plans to file a “thermonuclear lawsuit” against Media Matters and “those who colluded in this fraudulent attack on our company” after the non-profit published a story last week that appeared to show ads from major companies running alongside running alongside pro-Nazi or other negative posts.
Musk and spokespeople for X did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Meanwhile, Yaccarino was left to deal with the aftermath as several companies, including Apple and Disney reportedly halted advertising on X over the issue.
Lou Paskalis, a former executive at Bank of America and the CEO of marketing consultancy AJL Advisory, told Axios that Elon Musk is no longer a person that advertisers “can do business with.”
Paskalis told Axios he texted Yaccarino on Sunday and told her she should resign from her role at X. He was one of several marketing leaders to advise Yaccarino to resign, according to Axios and Forbes.
Yaccarino took over as the CEO of X, formerly known as Twitter, in June. She had previously served as NBCUniversal’s advertising chief.
“I think the advertising community is now working to save the reputation of a beloved member of our industry who does not share Elon Musk’s views and certainly did not know them when she accepted the role of CEO,” Paskalis told Axios. “If she did, she would not have accepted it.”
Despite the messages from multiple marketing leaders, Yaccarino is not considering leaving X, Forbes and Axios reported.
Yaccarino shared a statement on Monday via X .
“What we’re doing at X matters and has everyone’s attention. I believe deeply in our vision, our team, and our community,” she wrote. “I’m also deeply committed to the truth and there is no other team on earth working as hard as the teams at X. When you’re this consequential, there will be detractors and fabricated distractions, but we’re unwavering in our mission. Thank you for standing with us!”
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