The boss of social media platform X has stepped down in the latest setback for its billionaire owner Elon Musk.

Linda Yaccarino said she was leaving after just two years. "After two incredible years, I’ve decided to step down as CEO of X," she said in a post on the site. "I’ll be cheering you all on as you continue to change the world."

Her exit comes at a difficult time for Musk, who is dealing with falling sales at his electric car maker Tesla.

And as his feud with US President Donald Trump intensified, Musk last week launched a political party, sparking ridicule in the White House and concern among Tesla shareholders who fear another distraction.

Yaccarino did not give a specific reason for her decision to leave X, formerly known as Twitter.

She took the job in 2023 to help Musk transform the company he bought in a $44bn deal. She had previously modernised the ad business of Comcast’s NBC Universal.

X has a heavy debt load and Yaccarino has often had to deal with controversies stirred up by Musk, including his endorsement of antisemitic conspiracy theories in 2023.

Photo: Linda Yaccarino. (Pic: Virginia Sherwood/NBCUniversal/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)