X, the social media platform owned by Elon Musk, has experienced a significant shake-up in its leadership with the sudden departure of its head of engineering, Haofei Wang. According to sources familiar with the matter, Wang's exit comes as Musk shifts his focus towards DOGE and xAI, two projects that have gained significant attention in recent months.

Wang, who joined X in July 2023, played a crucial role in the company's engineering and product development. He was often seen as a conduit between Musk and the rest of the company's engineers, and his departure raises questions about the future direction of X's product roadmap. Neither Wang nor a company spokesperson responded to requests for comment, leaving the reasons behind his departure unclear.

The news comes as X has added new engineering leadership, including Mike Dalton and Uday Ruddaraju, both previously technical leads at Robinhood. Their LinkedIn profiles show that they also work at xAI, which has become increasingly intertwined with X over the last year. This move suggests that X is continuing to evolve its engineering team, even as Wang departs.

The departure of Wang also coincides with a significant shift in Musk's attention towards DOGE and xAI. Musk has been actively promoting DOGE, a cryptocurrency, on social media, and xAI, an artificial intelligence project, has been gaining traction in recent months. This shift in focus has led to speculation about the future direction of X, which Musk had previously vowed to transform into an "everything app" akin to China's WeChat.

Despite the changes, X's business appears to be turning around. The company reportedly obtained a $44 billion valuation from investors, the same price Musk paid for Twitter in 2022. This valuation is a significant boost for the company, which has faced challenges in recent months. However, Musk's attention and leadership at X have become increasingly split since he started campaigning for President Donald Trump last summer.

The future of X remains uncertain, but one thing is clear: the departure of Wang marks a significant change in the company's leadership and direction. As Musk continues to focus on DOGE and xAI, it remains to be seen how X will evolve and adapt to these new priorities.

For those with insight into X or xAI, Kylie Robison, the senior AI reporter who broke this story, invites them to share their thoughts and perspectives. She can be reached securely on Signal @kylie.01 or via email at kylie@theverge.com.