Matt Mullenweg Returns as CEO of Automattic After Board Attempted Ouster
WordPress founder Matt Mullenweg has been reinstated as chairman and CEO of Automattic, the parent company of WordPress.com. This follows a week of turmoil after the board initially voted to place him on paid leave for undisclosed reasons. The move surprised Mullenweg, who accused the board members of conspiring against him in internal communications. Despite being replaced by CFO Mark Davies as interim CEO with full board support, Mullenweg regained control through contentious actions such as removing other admins from company Slack and asserting his return to leadership. The situation escalated when Mullenweg made controversial remarks on Slack, including claiming he was a 'pirate'—a stark departure from his typically professional demeanor. He did not provide an official explanation for the events but hinted at this being the fifth time he has faced such challenges in public posts. Automattic confirmed Mullenweg’s return to leadership with full board support via statement and social media reposts, though it remained silent on further details or changes within its board structure.
Topics: Automattic board conflict CEO removal and reinstatement Matt Mullenweg