Automattic board reverses course, reinstates Mullenweg as CEO
After a board vote placed Matt Mullenweg on leave, he has been reinstated as chairman and CEO of Automattic. The company confirmed his return with full board support. The earlier removal was met with resistance from Mullenweg, who reportedly took control of internal communications.
The board's initial decision placed CFO Mark Davies as interim CEO, but Mullenweg's refusal to step aside created a chaotic internal situation. He removed other administrators from the company's Slack workspace and asserted his continued control, while also posting uncharacteristic messages, including a reference to being a "pirate" and cursing—behavior noted as atypical for him. His promised blog post about his status instead turned out to be about purchasing a houseboat, and he later remarked on X that this was likely the fifth "coup" he had faced. Additionally, reports indicated that board member Toni Schneider, a founding CEO who now leads Bluesky, had stepped down, though this was not officially confirmed.
This leadership turmoil at Automattic could affect millions of WordPress users and the broader open-source ecosystem. Instability at the top may undermine confidence in the platform's governance, potentially prompting some enterprises to reconsider their reliance on WordPress.com or the open-source project. However, Mullenweg's reinstatement with board support may restore a degree of stability, though lingering questions about board composition and internal trust could still influence community sentiment and future contributor engagement. The episode highlights how founder-led tech companies can face governance challenges that ripple outward to users and developers.