- Elon Musk offered few clues about Twitter’s next CEO, besides that “she” will take over in weeks.
- The cryptic post drove plenty of people on Musk’s platform to suggest possible contenders.
- Observers shared theories about seasoned executives and jokes about famed scammers.
Who is Twitter’s mysterious unnamed CEO?
That’s the question that set the social network ablaze with open speculation, some legitimate reporting, and oh-so-many jokes.
It all started on Thursday when Musk tweeted that he had hired a new CEO and “She will be starting in ~6 weeks!”
Twitter users quickly chimed in, with the theories ranging from plausible to kooky.
One serious guess came from tech journalist Kara Swisher, who laid out her case and observations in a Twitter thread. NBCUniversal executive Linda Yaccarino was her “first best guess,” Swisher tweeted, calling her an “Ad powerhouse and well liked.”
—Kara Swisher (@karaswisher) May 11, 2023
It could turn out to be right on the money — The Wall Street Journal on Thursday night reported that Yaccarino was “in talks” to take on the top job, citing sources familiar with the matter. An NBCUniversal spokesperson told Insider that Yaccarino was preparing for the Upfronts, an event where media companies pitch advertisers.
Guesses included famous tech names, some quickly debunked
You didn’t have to look far on Twitter to see some famous tech names like Sheryl Sandberg, Marissa Mayer, or Susan Wojcicki being floated.
But a representative for Sandberg confirmed to Insider in an email that “it is NOT Sheryl.”
Swisher also shot down the notion of YouTube’s Susan Wojcicki, who stepped down as CEO in February, saying she “would eat Elon nonsense for breakfast.” An email sent to Wojcicki did not receive a response.
Meanwhile, some Twitter employees speculated that Ella Irwin, who is fielding trust and safety at the platform, could be picked, Insider reported on Thursday. However, some current and former Twitter employees questioned Irwin’s experience and qualification, with one former employee who talked to Insider calling her “wildly unqualified.”
‘Elona Musk’ and joke theories – everywhere
Twitter users posted jokes about possible contenders who might keep that tumultuous reign going, with the names of convicted figures Elizabeth Holmes and Anna Sorokin — also known as “Anna Delvey” — frequently coming up in the comments.
—Zoë Schiffer (@ZoeSchiffer) May 11, 2023
Holmes was sentenced to more than 11 years in prison after her combustible tenure as the founder of the fraudulent blood testing startup Theranos, while Sorokin, known as the fake heiress, was released from jail in October.
And then there were the tweets about “Elona Musk,” as people shared photoshops and other images of the Tesla CEO with long hair, joking that Musk would never truly give up the job.
—Bojan Tunguz (@tunguz) May 11, 2023
Last but not least, Shiv Roy, the fictional aspiring CEO on the HBO show “Succession,” was also tossed out as a joke, though she may have her hands rather full with a bubbling scandal involving a snakey tech bro in the fictional universe of Waystar Royco.
- Elon Musk offered few clues about Twitter’s next CEO, besides that “she” will take over in weeks.
- The cryptic post drove plenty of people on Musk’s platform to suggest possible contenders.
- Observers shared theories about seasoned executives and jokes about famed scammers.
Who is Twitter’s mysterious unnamed CEO?
That’s the question that set the social network ablaze with open speculation, some legitimate reporting, and oh-so-many jokes.
It all started on Thursday when Musk tweeted that he had hired a new CEO and “She will be starting in ~6 weeks!”
Twitter users quickly chimed in, with the theories ranging from plausible to kooky.
One serious guess came from tech journalist Kara Swisher, who laid out her case and observations in a Twitter thread. NBCUniversal executive Linda Yaccarino was her “first best guess,” Swisher tweeted, calling her an “Ad powerhouse and well liked.”
—Kara Swisher (@karaswisher) May 11, 2023
It could turn out to be right on the money — The Wall Street Journal on Thursday night reported that Yaccarino was “in talks” to take on the top job, citing sources familiar with the matter. An NBCUniversal spokesperson told Insider that Yaccarino was preparing for the Upfronts, an event where media companies pitch advertisers.
Guesses included famous tech names, some quickly debunked
You didn’t have to look far on Twitter to see some famous tech names like Sheryl Sandberg, Marissa Mayer, or Susan Wojcicki being floated.
But a representative for Sandberg confirmed to Insider in an email that “it is NOT Sheryl.”
Swisher also shot down the notion of YouTube’s Susan Wojcicki, who stepped down as CEO in February, saying she “would eat Elon nonsense for breakfast.” An email sent to Wojcicki did not receive a response.
Meanwhile, some Twitter employees speculated that Ella Irwin, who is fielding trust and safety at the platform, could be picked, Insider reported on Thursday. However, some current and former Twitter employees questioned Irwin’s experience and qualification, with one former employee who talked to Insider calling her “wildly unqualified.”
‘Elona Musk’ and joke theories – everywhere
Twitter users posted jokes about possible contenders who might keep that tumultuous reign going, with the names of convicted figures Elizabeth Holmes and Anna Sorokin — also known as “Anna Delvey” — frequently coming up in the comments.
—Zoë Schiffer (@ZoeSchiffer) May 11, 2023
Holmes was sentenced to more than 11 years in prison after her combustible tenure as the founder of the fraudulent blood testing startup Theranos, while Sorokin, known as the fake heiress, was released from jail in October.
And then there were the tweets about “Elona Musk,” as people shared photoshops and other images of the Tesla CEO with long hair, joking that Musk would never truly give up the job.
—Bojan Tunguz (@tunguz) May 11, 2023
Last but not least, Shiv Roy, the fictional aspiring CEO on the HBO show “Succession,” was also tossed out as a joke, though she may have her hands rather full with a bubbling scandal involving a snakey tech bro in the fictional universe of Waystar Royco.
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