Automattic, the parent company of WordPress, has officially confirmed that co-founder Matt Mullenweg has retained his position as CEO. This follows a failed attempt by certain board members to remove him from his leadership role, effectively ending a period of internal governance instability.
The conflict arose due to disagreements between external investors and independent directors regarding Mullenweg’s recent strategic decisions. Specifically, board members criticized his public attacks and trademark litigation against third-party ecosystem participants, such as WP Engine, arguing these actions damaged the company’s reputation and ecosystem trust.
The attempt to oust the founder failed due to Mullenweg’s control over the company’s multi-class voting structure and strong support from core technical staff and the open-source community. These factors allowed him to maintain his position despite the internal pressure from the board.
Following the resolution of the dispute, Automattic announced that its governance is stable. Mullenweg will continue to oversee daily operations and the long-term planning for WordPress.org. He has also indicated that he may pursue a restructuring of board seats and governance rules in the coming months.
