Automattic Officially Announces Mullenweg’s Comeback as CEO Following Board’s Attempted Removal
Following a chaotic week that resulted in Matt Mullenweg being temporarily removed as CEO of Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com, a new statement has confirmed that he has reclaim his role.
A company representative stated, “Matt Mullenweg is back as chairman and CEO of Automattic, enjoying full board support. You can easily find many senior executives and Automatticians expressing their backing for him online.” This support likely refers to various positive comments shared on social media, which Mullenweg has been actively reposting.
Earlier in the week, the board had voted to place Mullenweg on a paid leave, citing unspecified reasons. This unexpected action caught Mullenweg off guard, prompting him to communicate with the team on Slack, suggesting that board members were “plotting” against him.
Automattic acknowledged Mullenweg’s temporary removal earlier, indicating he was “currently on leave,” and announced that Chief Financial Officer Mark Davies would assume the role of interim CEO with the board’s “full confidence.”
However, the transition did not unfold as planned. Mullenweg reportedly resisted leaving, removing other administrators from the company’s Slack channel and asserting that he had resolved the issues and was back in charge. Colleagues recalled him remarking, “I’m a pirate now” and expressing frustration—an unusual move for him. He quipped, “If this is an HR matter, please rein me in since my usual supporters are with Mark Davies.”
When approached about whether his claims of returning to the CEO position were serious, Mullenweg alluded to an upcoming blog post. However, that post ended up being about him acquiring a houseboat. When asked again if his statements were more playful than factual, he insisted, “I’m not a troll; I’m clearly a pirate.” While Mullenweg did not issue an official remark regarding his return, he did mention on social media that this situation marked the fifth time he had encountered a “coup.”
Requests for comment from Automattic about their recent changes to the board, including speculation about board member Toni Schneider stepping down, have gone unanswered. Schneider, one of the original founders and former CEO of Automattic, now oversees Bluesky and has not responded to inquiries sent to his personal email or through Bluesky channels.
We have reached out to Automattic yet again for clarification regarding these board changes, which seem to be in a state of flux.
