Matt Mullenweg tells (trolls?) Automattic staff, saying he's back in control after CEO ouster
News Source
β’Fri, 11 Sep 2026 15:19:00 +0000
π° What Happened
Matt Mullenweg says he is back in control of Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com. He posted the message to staff on Slack. Days earlier, the board had voted to put him on paid leave and made finance chief Mark Davies interim CEO. Mullenweg called the move a board plot. The company has not confirmed his return.
He joked online that a founder who never faces a coup attempt is not hiring strong leaders. He also said the board is now in agreement again.
π The Backstory
Mullenweg founded WordPress and has led Automattic for many years. WordPress runs a huge share of the world's websites, so the company matters a lot to the open web.
The board has not explained why it moved against him. TechCrunch reported that a promised blog post from Mullenweg turned out to be about him buying a houseboat. Staff were left unsure who was really in charge. The story was still developing when the article was published.
π― Why It Matters
WordPress powers millions of websites and blogs. A power struggle at the top can worry users, staff and small businesses that depend on the platform.
Matt Mullenweg says he is back in control of Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com. He posted the message to staff on Slack. Days earlier, the board had voted to put him on paid leave and made finance chief Mark Davies interim CEO. Mullenweg called the move a board plot. The company has not confirmed his return.
He joked online that a founder who never faces a coup attempt is not hiring strong leaders. He also said the board is now in agreement again.
Mullenweg founded WordPress and has led Automattic for many years. WordPress runs a huge share of the world's websites, so the company matters a lot to the open web.
The board has not explained why it moved against him. TechCrunch reported that a promised blog post from Mullenweg turned out to be about him buying a houseboat. Staff were left unsure who was really in charge. The story was still developing when the article was published.
WordPress powers millions of websites and blogs. A power struggle at the top can worry users, staff and small businesses that depend on the platform.