Automattic Reinstates Matt Mullenweg as CEO Following Aborted Board Ouster

WordPress co-founder Matt Mullenweg has resumed his role as chairman and chief executive officer of Automattic, just days after a board vote briefly stripped him of his executive duties and placed him on paid leave. The rapid reversal follows a tumultuous week of corporate maneuvering, internal communication disputes, and conflicting executive assignments that left the parent company of WordPress.com temporarily led by its chief financial officer.

Automattic confirmed the reinstatement in an email statement issued on Saturday evening by company spokesperson Megan Fox, who stated that Mullenweg holds the full support of the board. The confirmation comes less than forty-eight hours after the firm officially acknowledged that chief financial officer Mark Davies had stepped in as interim CEO while Mullenweg served an unverified leave of absence. The sudden transition and subsequent retraction highlight deep governance turbulence within the prominent web infrastructure firm.

The leadership crisis erupted earlier in the week when Automattic's board of directors voted to sideline Mullenweg, placing him on a paid leave of absence for reasons the company has declined to disclose publicly. The sudden removal caught the co-founder by surprise and immediately triggered internal friction across corporate channels. Following the board's decision, CFO Mark Davies was installed as interim CEO, backed by what the company described at the time as the full confidence of the board to execute ongoing corporate priorities.

The swift succession plan, however, encountered immediate internal resistance and failed to establish operational stability. Observers and employees watched as executive channels experienced sudden administrative shifts, culminating in the reported deactivation of Davies's internal messaging accounts. While the board attempted to institute structured interim leadership to navigate its commercial obligations, the institutional fracture quickly spilled over into public digital forums, creating widespread uncertainty regarding who held operational control of the organization.

Mullenweg quickly contested his removal using company communication channels, locking out other administrators from the corporate Slack workspace to broadcast his return. In messages directed to employees, the WordPress founder declared that the board had returned to agreement and that he was back in control of operations. His unconventional messaging included references to acting as a pirate and links to music videos, injecting surreal tone shifts into what was otherwise a high-stakes corporate governance battle.

Publicly, Mullenweg maintained an active digital presence across multiple platforms, utilizing X and Reddit to address speculation and hint at deeper boardroom conflicts. He pointed toward external pressures involving private equity firm Silver Lake, the majority owner of hosting company WP Engine, which is currently embroiled in active litigation with both Automattic and Mullenweg. Despite the chaotic rollout of his return, supporters within the broader ecosystem, including WordPress.org Executive Director Mary Hubbard, voiced relief over his reinstatement on social media.

Despite Automattic's official confirmation that Mullenweg has resumed his executive responsibilities with full backing, numerous foundational questions regarding the brief ouster remain unanswered. The exact rationale behind the board's initial decision to sideline the chief executive has not been disclosed, and the company has declined to clarify the precise mechanisms that led to the reversal of the disciplinary leave. Furthermore, reports regarding structural changes to the composition of the board itself remain unconfirmed by corporate representatives.

Among the unverified personnel shifts is the reported departure of board member and founding CEO Toni Schneider, who currently leads Bluesky. Requests for comment sent to Schneider personally and through Bluesky went unanswered as corporate communications remained tightly controlled following the weekend confirmation. The lack of transparency surrounding the boardroom friction leaves industry analysts scrutinizing the long-term stability of Automattic's governance structure as it continues managing ongoing external legal disputes.

Automattic has not released any further details concerning scheduled board meetings or policy adjustments following the reinstatement. The company's official stance is that executive leadership is unified under Mullenweg, though the rapid succession of conflicting statements has left observers monitoring the firm for additional administrative developments.