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Linda Yaccarino steps down as X CEO

Yaccarino highlighted the work that the X team has done over the past two years under her leadership.

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Credit: Linda Yaccarino/X

X CEO Linda Yaccarino has announced that she is stepping down as the social media platform’s chief executive. She shared her update in a post on X.

In her post, Yaccarino highlighted the work that the X team has done over the past two years under her leadership. As per the executive, the company has made significant strides towards its goal of becoming the Everything App. She also highlighted the company’s work in prioritizing the safety of its users, particularly children.

Following is Yaccarino’s statement:

After two incredible years, I’ve decided to step down as CEO of 𝕏. 

When @elonmusk and I first spoke of his vision for X, I knew it would be the opportunity of a lifetime to carry out the extraordinary mission of this company. I’m immensely grateful to him for entrusting me with the responsibility of protecting free speech, turning the company around, and transforming X into the Everything App. 

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I’m incredibly proud of the X team – the historic business turn around we have accomplished together has been nothing short of remarkable. 

We started with the critical early work necessary to prioritize the safety of our users—especially children, and to restore advertiser confidence. This team has worked relentlessly from groundbreaking innovations like Community Notes, and, soon, X Money to bringing the most iconic voices and content to the platform. Now, the best is yet to come as X enters a new chapter with @xai

X is truly a digital town square for all voices and the world’s most powerful culture signal. We couldn’t have achieved that without the support of our users, business partners, and the most innovative team in the world. 

I’ll be cheering you all on as you continue to change the world. 

As always, I’ll see you on 𝕏.

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Elon Musk has issued a response to Yaccarino’s decision to step down as X’s CEO. In a reply, Musk thanked the executive for her work on the social media platform for the past two years. 

“Thank you for your contributions,” Musk wrote.

Under Yaccarino’s leadership, X traversed rocky waters and reestablished itself as a town square where the world’s most notable people are within reach of everyday users across the globe. She also helped lead the company through its acquisition by Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence startup, xAI. At the time, the deal valued X at $33 billion, lower than the $44 billion paid by Elon Musk for Twitter but notably higher than estimates from firms like Fidelity, which valued the social media platform at below $10 billion in late 2024.

Simon is an experienced automotive reporter with a passion for electric cars and clean energy. Fascinated by the world envisioned by Elon Musk, he hopes to make it to Mars (at least as a tourist) someday. For stories or tips--or even to just say a simple hello--send a message to his email, simon@teslarati.com or his handle on X, @ResidentSponge.

Elon Musk

Elon Musk confirms Tesla has never shown Optimus V3 design yet

Optimus is a cornerstone of the company’s pursuit towards sustainable abundance.

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Credit: Tesla Optimus/X

Elon Musk has clarified that the next iteration of Tesla’s humanoid robot, Optimus V3, has yet to be revealed publicly. His comments were posted on social media platform on X as Tesla enthusiasts discussed recent images of Optimus V2 and V2.5. 

Musk’s comment followed a recent video shared by Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, which showed Musk demonstrating an updated Optimus prototype equipped with Grok AI.

Updated Optimus V2

The short video posted by Benioff showed a gold-colored Optimus unit answering questions through Tesla’s Grok AI assistant and taking tentative steps. The addition of Grok suggests Tesla is seeking to integrate conversational AI directly into Optimus, expanding its potential applications beyond mechanical movement to include workplace and consumer interaction.

The Optimus in the video was quite different from the V2 units that have been showcased by the company in the past. Its hands looked more human (though they appeared to be mannequin placeholders) and its body was painted gold. In a follow-up post, the official Tesla Optimus account teased the updated design with functional hands with the caption “I’ve been working on my figure.” 

Future versions

It was then no surprise that some in the Tesla community had the impression that the refined version of the prototype featured in the new images was Optimus V3. With its more advanced hands, forearms, and sleek new paint job, after all, the unit could very well be a whole new evolution of the humanoid robot. As per Musk, however, this was not the case. 

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In a response to an X user who compared the progress of Optimus to Starship’s Raptor V1, V2, and V3 engines, the CEO clarified that Tesla has not shown Optimus V3 yet. He also noted that the new images of the humanoid robot were of Optimus V2.5. “We haven’t shown Optimus V3 yet. It is sublime. The second two images are V2 and V2.5,” Musk wrote in his response.

Optimus plays a huge role in Tesla’s future, with the robot expected to be a high-volume product that is a cornerstone of the company’s pursuit towards sustainable abundance. Elon Musk’s 2025 pay package also directly involves Optimus, with one of his targets being the delivery of 1 million Optimus robots.

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SpaceX to expand Central Texas facility with $8M Bastrop project

Bastrop is already the site of several Elon Musk-led ventures.

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Credit: SpaceX

SpaceX is set to expand its presence in Central Texas with an $8 million project to enlarge its Bastrop facility, as per state filings. 

The 80,000-square-foot addition, which is scheduled to begin construction on September 24 and wrap in early January 2026, was registered with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation and initially reported by My San Antonio

New investment

Bastrop is already the site of several Elon Musk-led ventures. The upcoming expansion will extend SpaceX’s office at 858 FM 1209, near Starlink’s operations and The Boring Company’s facilities. Just down the road, X is housed in the Hyperloop Plaza at 865 FM 1209.

SpaceX’s expansion reflects a steady buildup of resources in Bastrop since the private space firm established its presence in the area. The addition was praised by Tesla Governor Greg Abbott, who wrote on X that the expansion will “bring more jobs, innovations and will strengthen Starlink’s impact worldwide.” 

State support

In March, Gov. Greg Abbott announced a $17.3 million state grant to SpaceX for an “expansion of their semiconductor research and development (R&D) and advanced packaging facility in Bastrop.” The project is expected to create more than 400 new jobs and generate over $280 million in capital investment.

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Following the grant award, the Texas Governor also noted that SpaceX’s facility would be growing by 1 million square feet across three years to boost its Starlink program. SpaceX’s Starlink division is among the company’s fastest-growing segments, with the satellite internet system connecting over 6 million users and counting worldwide. 

Recent reports have also indicated that Starlink has struck a deal with EchoStar to acquire 50 MHz of exclusive S-band spectrum in the United States and global Mobile Satellite Service (MSS) licenses. This should pave the way for Starlink to provide 5G coverage worldwide, even in remote areas. 

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Starlink’s EchoStar spectrum deal could bring 5G coverage anywhere

The agreement strengthens Starlink’s ability to expand its mobile coverage worldwide.

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Credit: SpaceX/X

SpaceX has struck a deal with EchoStar to acquire 50 MHz of exclusive S-band spectrum in the United States and global Mobile Satellite Service (MSS) licenses, paving the way for its next-generation Starlink Direct to Cell constellation. 

The agreement strengthens Starlink’s ability to expand its mobile coverage worldwide. With the upgraded system, SpaceX aims to deliver full 5G connectivity to unmodified cell phones and eliminate mobile dead zones worldwide.

Expanding mobile coverage

Starlink’s Direct to Cell service was first launched in early 2024 with satellites designed to connect directly to standard LTE mobile devices. Within days of deployment, engineers demonstrated texting from unmodified phones, followed by video calling. Over the past 18 months, SpaceX has grown the system to more than 600 satellites, which now offer service across five continents. Today, Starlink Direct to Cell is considered the largest 4G coverage provider worldwide, connecting over 6 million users and counting, according to SpaceX in a post.

The constellation integrates with Starlink’s broader fleet of 8,000 satellites via a laser mesh network. Operating at 360 kilometers (224 miles) above Earth, the satellites connect directly to devices without hardware or firmware modifications. The system is already supporting messaging, video calls, navigation, social media apps, and IoT connectivity in remote areas.

Next-generation system

Through its new EchoStar spectrum acquisition, SpaceX plans to develop a second-generation constellation with far greater capacity. The upgraded satellites will leverage SpaceX-designed silicon and advanced phased array antennas to increase throughput by 20x per satellite and increase total system capacity by more than 100x. These enhancements are expected to support full 5G cellular connectivity in remote areas, with performance comparable to terrestrial LTE networks.

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Partnerships with major mobile carriers remain central to Starlink’s expansion. Operators including T-Mobile in the United States, Rogers in Canada, KDDI in Japan, and Kyivstar in Ukraine are integrating Direct to Cell services for coverage in rural areas and during emergencies. The service has already provided critical communication during hurricanes, floods, and wildfires, enabling millions of SMS messages and emergency alerts to be delivered when ground networks were unavailable.

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