Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg says he is back in control of Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com, only days after its board placed him on paid leave. The claim appeared in a message to Automattic staff on Slack and has not been confirmed by the company or its board.
TechCrunch reported that two sources confirmed seeing a screenshot of Mullenweg’s message. Automattic has not responded to the outlet’s request for comment, while Mullenweg said a blog post was forthcoming.
“(Don’t call it a comeback…) Howdy everybody! Happy to announce the board is back in agreement, and I’m in control of Automattic. A lot happened in the past 48 hours that we need to sort out, and I hope much of it was a misunderstanding, because I have huge respect and regard for those involved.”
Matt Mullenweg, in a message to Automattic staff, as reported by TechCrunch
Automattic CEO claim remains unconfirmed
The message follows a rapid reversal of events inside Automattic. Earlier this week, the board voted to put Mullenweg on a paid leave of absence, according to TechCrunch. Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg now says the board is back in agreement, but the company has not confirmed that account. Automattic confirmed at the time that Mullenweg was on leave and that CFO Mark Davies had become interim CEO.
Mullenweg said the board had acted behind his back. TechCrunch now reports that Davies’ Slack account was deactivated and that Mullenweg removed Slack administrators from the company’s workspace. Those developments have not been independently confirmed by Automattic.
The founder also posted on X that “Things are different than they appear” and said he was looking for systems administrators and security researchers to help move some of his material hosted at Automattic. He later wrote, “Boards are never boring.”
What happens to WordPress.com and Automattic now?
Automattic operates WordPress.com, WooCommerce, Tumblr, Jetpack and other web products. The company’s own press materials still describe Mullenweg as the founder and CEO, but they do not confirm the events reported this week.
For now, the status of Automattic’s leadership remains unsettled. The company has not publicly confirmed that Mullenweg has returned as CEO, and the claimed change comes amid a legal dispute between Automattic and WP Engine, a major WordPress hosting provider.
Is Matt Mullenweg confirmed as Automattic CEO again?
No. Mullenweg told staff he was back in control, but Automattic and its board had not confirmed the change at the time of reporting.
Why was Matt Mullenweg put on leave?
Automattic’s board voted to place him on paid leave earlier in the week. The company has not publicly explained the reason for the decision.
What does Automattic own?
Automattic operates WordPress.com, WooCommerce, Tumblr, Jetpack and other web products.
