Automattic's Board Places CEO Matt Mullenweg on Leave of Absence
Matt Mullenweg, founder and CEO of Automattic—the parent company of WordPress.com—has been placed on a paid leave of absence by the board against his will. According to internal Slack messages seen by TechCrunch, CFO Mark Davies conspired with other board members Ann Dunwoody, Toni Schneider, and Sue Decker behind Mullenweg’s back to vote for this action. Mullenweg expressed frustration over being given only 50 minutes’ notice before the meeting where he was informed of his leave status. Automattic confirmed in a statement that Mullenweg is on leave while Davies has been appointed as interim CEO. The board stated full confidence in Davies' leadership and the team's ability to execute company priorities. Despite ongoing tensions, WordPress.org remains unaffected by this change at Automattic’s commercial arm. Mullenweg has faced controversy during his tenure, including legal battles with WP Engine over alleged misuse of the open-source project and internal staff departures due to disagreements.
Topics: Automattic Board action Leadership change Matt Mullenweg