xAI's CFO Steps Down resigns in a string of executive departures

Mike Liberatore, xAI’s chief financial officer, resigned in late July after joining in April. His exit follows other high-profile departures, including co-founder Igor Babuschkin and legal head Robert Keele, both in August. Linda Yaccarino, CEO of Musk-owned X, also resigned in July after X’s integration into xAI.

Liberatore, previously at Airbnb, led xAI’s $5 billion debt raise and a matching $5 billion equity investment in June. These funds support xAI’s AI development, data center, and Grok platform, per Morgan Stanley. No reasons for Liberatore’s departure were disclosed.

The string of exits raises questions about xAI’s leadership stability. Founded by Elon Musk in 2023 to rival other Big Tech AI efforts, xAI faces intense competition from OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic. Musk has criticized industry leaders for “excessive censorship and lax safety standards.” Ongoing executive turnover may challenge xAI’s financial and strategic direction.