Automattic has a new board after failed attempt to put CEO on leave
News Source
β’Fri, 25 Sep 2026 23:04:34 +0000
π° What Happened
Automattic chief executive Matt Mullenweg has rebuilt the company's board. Earlier this month, the old board voted to put him on leave in a bid to remove him. He took back control in 33 hours, and the directors behind the move left.
He told staff about the new board on Friday through the company's Slack announcements channel. The members include science-fiction author Hugh Howey, writer Amy Chan, and two co-founders of the social app IRL, Henry Khachatryan and Krutal Desai.
π The Backstory
Automattic owns WordPress.com, Tumblr and WooCommerce, and its software runs a large share of the world's websites. Mullenweg and Howey once hiked the Camino de Santiago in Spain together.
IRL shut down after investigations found that nearly all of its users were bots. Its founders, including former chief executive Abraham Shafi, later sued SoftBank and other investors after SoftBank sued them for securities fraud.
π― Why It Matters
Automattic runs a big slice of the web. A fight over its leadership can affect the tools millions of site owners depend on.
Automattic chief executive Matt Mullenweg has rebuilt the company's board. Earlier this month, the old board voted to put him on leave in a bid to remove him. He took back control in 33 hours, and the directors behind the move left.
He told staff about the new board on Friday through the company's Slack announcements channel. The members include science-fiction author Hugh Howey, writer Amy Chan, and two co-founders of the social app IRL, Henry Khachatryan and Krutal Desai.
Automattic owns WordPress.com, Tumblr and WooCommerce, and its software runs a large share of the world's websites. Mullenweg and Howey once hiked the Camino de Santiago in Spain together.
IRL shut down after investigations found that nearly all of its users were bots. Its founders, including former chief executive Abraham Shafi, later sued SoftBank and other investors after SoftBank sued them for securities fraud.
Automattic runs a big slice of the web. A fight over its leadership can affect the tools millions of site owners depend on.