Matt Mullenweg Reinstated as Automattic CEO Following Brief Departure
Matt Mullenweg, the founder of Automattic, has resumed his position as CEO just two days after being placed on a paid leave. This development was publicized through a Slack message seen by TechCrunch, and confirmed by WordPress Executive Director Mary Hubbard in a post shared on social media platform X on Friday.
The abrupt change in leadership began on Wednesday when Mullenweg informed staff via Slack that the CFO, Mark Davies, had collaborated with the board of directors to temporarily remove him from his CEO duties. This action reportedly included a board vote, which Mullenweg opposed. Concurrently, Davies was appointed as interim CEO, although it was noted that Mullenweg would continue as a board member.
In a subsequent message, Mullenweg announced a resolution with the board, reclaiming his role as CEO of Automattic. He expressed an intention to address issues that arose during the past 48 hours, hoping they stemmed from misunderstandings and reinforcing his respect for those involved. Following this, reports indicated that Davies’ Slack account was deactivated and administrative permissions on Automattic’s Slack were adjusted by Mullenweg.
Late on Thursday, Mullenweg took to posting about his reinstatement and shared insights on hiring strong leaders, suggesting that infrequent challenges such as these are healthy for leadership dynamics. Additionally, on Friday, he shared a humorous anecdote about submitting an offer for a houseboat in a blog post titled “Major Life Announcement.”
Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com, Tumblr, and Beeper, has not yet provided any public comment regarding these recent events.
Reporting based on coverage first published by theverge.com.