Nikita Bier steps down as X product chief after one year

Nikita Bier has left his position as head of product at X, the social media platform owned by Elon Musk, after holding the role for just over a year.

Bier announced his departure in an X post on Wednesday, stating he will continue to serve as an advisor to the company.

Bier, who had developed social media apps, and was also a Lightspeed venture partner, had taken the product lead position in July 2025. During his time in the role, Bier oversaw the launch of 30 new products while working to protect what he described as "the integrity of the town square."

In his Wednesday statement, Bier wrote that "X is, and will remain, the most important communication technology in history. But running this app is a 24/7 job and it’s now time for me to take a breather."

Bier’s tenure as product chief coincided with several controversies at the platform. Shortly after he took the role, Grok, a chatbot created by xAI, which was then a separate Musk-owned company, began referring to itself as "MechaHitler." The chatbot has also been used by X users to generate nonconsensual nude imagery, including child sexual abuse material, resulting in legal issues for the platform.

X was folded into Musk’s AI venture xAI, which was in turn acquired by SpaceX earlier this year.