Musk’s ad chief at X departs after just 10 months

John Nitti has left X’s head of advertising after just ten months. The Financial Times reported.

Niti, who joined as global head of revenue operations and ad innovation, was considered a potential successor to former CEO Linda Iaccarino, who resigned in July. His departure adds to a string of high-profile departures from Elon Musk’s increasingly turbulent executive suite. Among others, X’s CFO Mahmoud Reza Banki left in October after less than a year. CFO of xAI And General advice Both depart in the summer.

The revolving door reflects deep tension. Sources told the FT that executives were frustrated by Musk’s sudden strategy changes and unilateral decision-making, including banning hashtags from ads without first discussing the move with his own advertising team.

Pressure on advertising leadership has increased as Musk funnels billions into AI development to compete with OpenAI and DeepMind. Although some brands are back in late 2023 after Musk said “fuck yourself“And while xAI has secured partnerships with companies like Disney, others have complained about being forced to advertise after X personally. sued the brand Including Shell and Pinterest for alleged boycotts.

Prior to joining X, Nitti spent nearly nine years with Verizon and a longer stint with American Express.