Following a week marked by intense internal conflict, Automattic has officially confirmed that WordPress founder Matt Mullenweg has resumed his duties as CEO. The announcement comes after the company’s board of directors voted earlier this week to place Mullenweg on an unpaid leave of absence, a move that Mullenweg characterized as an attempted ouster.
In a statement provided to TechCrunch shortly after 5 PM ET on Saturday, a company spokesperson affirmed Mullenweg’s status. “Matt Mullenweg is the chairman and CEO of Automattic, with full support of the board,” the spokesperson said, noting that numerous top executives and employees have publicly voiced their backing for him on social media.
The turmoil began on Wednesday when Automattic confirmed to media outlets that Mullenweg was on leave and that Chief Financial Officer Mark Davies would serve as interim CEO. Mullenweg, who stated he was blindsided by the board’s decision, alleged on the company’s internal Slack platform that board members were conspiring against him.
Rather than stepping away, Mullenweg allegedly retained control of the communication channel by removing other administrators. He then posted messages to staff claiming he had resolved the dispute and was back in charge. Sources indicate that during this period, Mullenweg posted the phrase “I’m a pirate now” along with profanity—a departure from his usual communication style—and joked about needing HR intervention because his usual contacts were with Davies.
When pressed for clarification regarding his claims of reinstatement, Mullenweg initially suggested a formal blog post was forthcoming. Instead, he published an article regarding a personal purchase: a houseboat. When asked if his assertions of being CEO were merely a prank, he replied, “I’m not a troll I’m a pirate, obviously.” He later noted on X that this incident likely marked the fifth such “coup” attempt in his career.
Automattic did not respond to inquiries on Friday regarding the situation or rumors that founding CEO Toni Schneider had resigned. Schneider, who currently leads Bluesky, did not return requests for comment. TechCrunch has followed up with the company regarding potential changes to the board’s composition, which sources suggest may still be evolving.
Leave a Reply