Automattic confirms Matt Mullenweg has returned to his position as chairman and CEO “with full support of the board”, after an attempted ouster this week
TechCrunchSarah Perez
Context & Ripple Effects
The leadership dispute moved quickly: Mullenweg said he had been placed on paid leave while CFO Mark Davies was named interim CEO, before internal messages claiming he had regained control circulated. Automattic’s confirmation settles the formal leadership question in Mullenweg’s favor, with explicit board backing.
Because Mullenweg is also a WordPress co-founder, the episode puts unusual weight on how Automattic’s board manages a challenge to its founder-leader without disrupting the company’s broader leadership structure.
First-order effects
Matt Mullenweg resumes both chairman and CEO responsibilities at Automattic, ending the interim leadership arrangement described in the earlier report.
The board’s stated support gives Mullenweg a formal mandate following the attempted ouster, rather than leaving control defined by competing internal claims.
Second-order effects
Mark Davies and other executives involved in the leadership challenge must operate under a restored CEO whose authority has been publicly reaffirmed by the board.
Automattic employees and partners receive a single official account of company control after days in which Mullenweg’s own claims of a return preceded corporate confirmation.
Third-order effects
The episode highlights the governance strain in founder-led technology companies when board oversight and a founder’s operational authority come into conflict.
Repeated public leadership disputes can make board process itself a material operating issue for Automattic, not merely an internal governance matter.
The trend: Founder-led technology companies are facing more visible tests of how boards can exercise oversight while preserving clear operational authority.
I joined @automattic over 15 years ago to work for @photomatt because I believed in his vision for an open web belonging to the people and not the corporations. I still believe it's the most important task in front of us, and I'm proud to continue doing so with him at the helm.
We have a lot of work to do to make the internet better. This is easy to lose sight of on some days, but not on a day when people disparage the integrity of @photomatt and slander his character. Until you have dedicated as much of yourself to making our online world a positive pl…
Thoughts on Automattic and WordPress: To get his CEO title back, if Matt stacked the board, held an emergency board meeting fired everyone then appointed a new board to reinstate him as CEO and fire the interim CEO then he now risks a shareholder class action lawsuit. The fired b…
i don't understand why some people can't respect what someone has done. @photomatt gave more than 20+ years of his life to WordPress and open source. WordPress built one of the most diverse communities i have ever seen. developers, designers, businesses, contributors, WordCamps, …
Years ago, I built a WordPress site, grew it, and eventually exited it. @photomatt and his work were always an inspiration to me. He made me want to build in public, share more, and be part of open source. He was a hidden hero behind my success. Several months ago, I built anothe…