John Nitti, global ad head at Musk’s X, steps down after 10 months

New Delhi: John Nitti has stepped down as X’s global head of revenue operations and advertising innovation after only ten months in the role, according to a Financial Times report.

Nitti, who had been viewed internally as a potential successor to former CEO Linda Yaccarino, who resigned in July, leaves amid a series of senior-level exits from Elon Musk’s leadership team. 

The platform’s Chief Financial Officer Mahmoud Reza Banki left in October after less than a year, while xAI’s Chief Financial Officer and general counsel both departed during the summer.

The FT report noted that the continuing turnover highlights growing internal tension, with executives increasingly frustrated by Musk’s abrupt strategic shifts and unilateral decisions, including his choice to ban hashtags from advertising without prior discussion with his own ad team.

The advertising division is said to be under mounting strain as Musk diverts billions towards artificial intelligence development in a push to rival OpenAI and DeepMind. While some advertisers have returned to the platform following Musk’s controversial 2023 remark telling brands to “go fuck yourself,” others reportedly remain uneasy.

Despite xAI announcing new partnerships with major companies such as Disney, several brands are said to feel pressured into advertising after X filed lawsuits against firms including Shell and Pinterest over alleged ad boycotts.

Before joining X, Nitti spent around nine years at Verizon and earlier worked with American Express.