Matt Mullenweg, co-founder of WordPress and CEO of Automattic, announced via Slack on September 11 that he has regained control of the company. This statement follows a board decision on September 9 to place him on paid leave, during which CFO Mark Davies was appointed interim CEO.
The board's decision to remove Mullenweg was made with the participation of members Mark Davies, Ann Dunwoody, Toni Schneider, and Sue Decker. Mullenweg reported receiving the resolution regarding his removal 50 minutes before the meeting. Despite being placed on leave, he retained his board seat.
Automattic has not officially confirmed Mullenweg's claim of reinstatement. The company is currently involved in a legal dispute with hosting provider WP Engine, which escalated in 2024 and led to internal restructuring and workforce reductions at Automattic.
Leadership at WordPress.org stated that the open-source project's operations remain unaffected by the corporate situation. Mullenweg founded Automattic in 2005 and has maintained a dual role as corporate CEO and steward of the WordPress project for two decades.
