Automattic has placed CEO and founder Matt Mullenweg on paid leave. CFO Mark Davies will temporarily take the helm of the company behind WordPress.com, WooCommerce, Tumblr, and other platforms. Mullenweg will remain a member of the board of directors.
Mullenweg was outvoted by the board of directors. According to internal Slack messages, first viewed by 404 Media, CFO Mark Davies and board members Ann Dunwoody, Toni Schneider, and Sue Decker voted in favor of his leave. Mullenweg himself voted against it. He accuses the four of them of having prepared the decision behind his back.
According to Mullenweg, he was not shown the resolution until fifty minutes before the board meeting began. He reportedly then repeatedly requested a postponement to have the document reviewed by an independent legal advisor. He claims that request was denied.
CFO takes the reins
Davies has been appointed interim CEO by the board. Automattic confirms that Mullenweg is currently on leave and expresses its confidence in Davies and the management team. The reason why the board decided to temporarily remove Mullenweg as CEO at this particular time has not been disclosed.
Mullenweg is not, however, completely stepping out of the picture. Davies informed employees that the founder will retain a say in setting the direction and making decisions.
His position within the separate open-source project WordPress also remains unchanged for the time being. Mary Hubbard, Executive Director of WordPress.org, informed the community that Mullenweg will remain the leader of the WordPress project. According to her, the teams and their work will continue as usual.
Long-standing conflict with WP Engine
This management intervention follows a turbulent period surrounding Mullenweg. Automattic and its CEO are embroiled in a legal dispute with the hosting company WP Engine. The dispute centers, among other things, on the use of the WordPress brand and the contribution that WP Engine, according to Mullenweg, should make to the WordPress ecosystem.
Internally, too, Mullenweg’s leadership style had previously caused unrest. In 2024, Automattic offered a severance package to employees who could not agree with his policies. Employees could receive six months’ salary or $30,000, whichever amount was higher. A total of 159 employees accepted the offer.
Another severance package followed later. Mullenweg also threatened to fire employees who spoke to the press without severance pay.
It is not known how long Mullenweg will remain on leave. Davies told employees that, for the time being, the temporary leadership change will not alter Automattic’s course.