Sources: in an internal Slack message Matt Mullenweg claims he is back in control of Automattic; on X, he says this may have been fifth coup attempt against him
Mullenweg said on September 9 and 10 that he had been placed on paid leave after CFO Mark Davies was voted interim CEO; his new assertion directly contests that interim arrangement. The competing accounts put Automattic’s chain of authority in question rather than resolving the board dispute.
The leadership rupture follows earlier tension over the boundaries of Mullenweg’s control: in 2024 he said WordPress.org belonged to him personally, and in 2025 several WordPress.org members involved in a fork effort had their accounts deactivated. That history makes governance at Automattic consequential beyond its corporate leadership.
First-order effects
Automattic employees, directors and interim CEO Mark Davies face conflicting claims over who can direct operations after Mullenweg’s assertion that he has retaken the CEO role.
The public dispute forces Automattic’s customers and partners to determine which leadership instructions and commitments carry authority.
Second-order effects
The conflict raises the governance risk attached to Automattic’s products and services, making continuity assurances more important in dealings with WordPress.com users and commercial partners.
WordPress contributors and organizations weighing independence from Mullenweg’s control gain a fresh example of why the company, WordPress.org and the broader open-source project need clearly distinguishable governance.
Third-order effects
If recurring leadership challenges are settled through founder-led interventions rather than transparent board process, founder control becomes a material operating risk for companies built around open-source infrastructure.
The episode reinforces pressure to separate the governance of a commercial steward from the communities and projects whose legitimacy extends beyond that company.
The trend: Founder-controlled open-source stewards are facing greater pressure to make corporate authority and project governance legible as their commercial and community roles overlap.
I really need some great sysadmin and security researchers to hire really quick, no one from @automattic! I'm on the board there and fully support Mark Davies in his interim CEO role. But I think it's probably good if I move some of my stuff currently hosted there, elsewhere.
Mullenweg has wrested control BACK, he claims — so, a very cool company with effective governance and controls, along with a sober minded leader. a compelling firm to partner and transact with — techcrunch.com/2026/09/11/m...
I'm relieved and pleased to see Matt Mullenweg return as CEO of Automattic, the largest financial contributor to the WordPress project. Having WordPress's Co-founder and Project Lead at the helm gives me confidence that their support will remain strong. Matt has my support.
Less than 48 hours after announcing he was forcibly placed on a leave of absence, Automattic's Matt Mullenweg claimed that he's back “in control” of the company. Mullenweg's Slack profile picture currently shows him wearing a pirate hat and eyepatch. www.404media.co/automattic-m…