Automattic board places CEO Matt Mullenweg on leave

SAN FRANCISCO — Automattic spokesperson Megan Fox has issued a professional confirmation that CEO Matt Mullenweg is on leave, with CFO Mark Davies stepping in as interim CEO. Simultaneously, Mullenweg has used internal company channels to characterize the board's action as a coup, alleging that Davies conspired with board members to sideline him. The board's decision follows an emergency meeting in late August, according to Androguider, where directors voted to initiate an independent investigation into company resources, workplace culture, and governance. While Mullenweg remains on the board, he has been stripped of day-to-day operational authority.

The WP Engine Conflict and Legal Sanctions

The catalyst for the board's intervention is a protracted legal battle with WP Engine. In 2024, Mullenweg launched a public pressure campaign against the host, a move that divided the open-source community and led to a lawsuit against Automattic. The conflict intensified when WP Engine filed a motion for sanctions, alleging that Mullenweg failed to preserve evidence. According to Search Engine Journal, Jonathan Robins, Automattic’s e-discovery vendor, reported that a phone and a laptop belonging to Mullenweg were unaccounted for. This legal friction has coincided with a broader decline in the WordPress ecosystem. Reporting indicates a drop in WordPress's market share among content management systems (CMS) and a steady decline in attendance at WordCamp, the community's primary conference series.

A Divided Corporate Identity

A critical tension in this transition is the structural distinction between Automattic and the WordPress project. Mullenweg occupies a unique position of overlapping power:

Entity	Nature	Mullenweg's Current Status
Automattic	Commercial company (WordPress.com, WooCommerce, Jetpack)	On paid leave; no operational authority
WordPress.org	Open-source project infrastructure	Remains leader/co-creator
WordPress Foundation	Non-profit governing trademarks	Remains President

Because these roles are separate, the board's ability to remove Mullenweg from Automattic does not automatically strip him of control over the software that powers more than 40% of the web. This creates a scenario where the public face of the open-source project is legally distanced from the commercial company that supports much of its development.

Internal Discord and Procedural Disputes

The manner of the removal has sparked significant internal volatility. In a message shared via Slack, Mullenweg claimed he received the resolution to put him on leave only 50 minutes before the meeting began. He further alleged that his repeated requests for a few hours to have the action reviewed by independent legal counsel were denied. The reaction among Automattic's approximately 1,200 distributed employees has been fractured. Androguider reports that some staff viewed Mullenweg's emotional Slack posts — which framed the move as a betrayal of the mission to democratize publishing, as divisive and inappropriate. Others have rallied behind the founder, viewing the board as corporate outsiders. This instability follows a period of high attrition. Last year, a "contributor alignment" program required employees to choose sides in the WP Engine dispute, resulting in the departure of over 150 staff members.

Financial Pressures and Product Vulnerability

Beyond the legal drama, the board is grappling with the financial performance of Automattic's portfolio. Specifically, Tumblr, acquired in 2019, continues to burn cash. The platform has struggled through a delayed migration to WordPress infrastructure and various experiments with paid features and ActivityPub. Mullenweg has been Tumblr's most vocal champion within the company. Without his leadership, there are concerns among staff that the platform may face budget cuts or a sale, as interim leadership may prioritize profitable units like WordPress VIP and WooCommerce. These products are facing increased competition from AI-native startups and platforms like Shopify and Substack.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is WordPress.com still functioning?

Yes. Automattic has stated there are no announced changes to its products, and existing sites should continue operating normally.

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Can the board permanently fire Matt Mullenweg?

Legal experts suggest a permanent ouster is difficult due to Mullenweg's super-voting shares, his seat on the board, and his control over key intellectual property.

Who is running the company now?

CFO Mark Davies has been appointed as interim CEO with the full confidence of the board.

The ultimate resolution of this crisis depends on a complex legal and structural deadlock. While the board has initiated an investigation into governance and stewardship, Mullenweg’s control of the WordPress Foundation's intellectual property and his super-voting shares provide a significant defensive shield.

Board Composition and Corporate Scale

The move to sideline Mullenweg was driven by a coalition of investor-directors and independent members. According to The Verge, the vote included board members Ann Dunwoody, Toni Schneider, and Sue Decker, along with Mark Davies. This internal struggle takes place within a company of significant scale and global reach:

• Workforce: More than 1,447 employees across 81 countries, according to the company press page reported by tbreak.
• Valuation: Last valued at over $7 billion.
• Portfolio: Commercial operations including WordPress.com, WooCommerce, Jetpack, Day One, and Telex.

The board's decision follows nearly two years of mounting tension. Androguider reports that directors became increasingly alarmed by the costs of public feuds, mounting legal bills, and the churn of enterprise customers.

Operational Uncertainty and the Path Forward

While interim leadership has attempted to reassure the distributed workforce that remote-work policies and salaries remain intact, several operational questions remain. Staff have reported confusion regarding funding and priorities for Tumblr, particularly concerning its fediverse integrations and the long-promised backend migration to WordPress. The structural deadlock persists because the board's authority is limited by Mullenweg's super-voting shares and his control over the WordPress Foundation's intellectual property. Consequently, the board has framed the leave as temporary and precautionary. The resolution of this crisis now rests on the outcome of the independent investigation into governance, stewardship of resources, and workplace culture. Whether the board moves toward a permanent separation or a negotiated return with reduced powers depends on these findings; this investigation represents the next step in determining the company's long-term leadership.