Automattic's board resigned after failing to oust CEO Matt Mullenweg via a paid leave vote. Mullenweg regained control within 33 hours, and board members Toni Schneider, Sue Decker, and Gen. Ann Dunwoody have departed. The board shakeup follows an ongoing trademark dispute between Automattic and WordPress hosting company WP Engine.
WordPress founder Matt Mullenweg was ousted as CEO of Automattic by board vote but returned to his position within days after removing other admins from company Slack and asserting control. The company confirmed his reinstatement as chairman and CEO with full board support, though Mullenweg provided no official statement and instead posted cryptic messages about being a 'pirate' and buying a houseboat.
Matt Mullenweg was reinstated as Automattic CEO just two days after the board voted to place him on paid leave and appoint CFO Mark Davies as interim CEO. Mullenweg announced his return via Slack and social media, claiming the board was "back in agreement" and that he had removed key admins from the company's systems.
Automattic founder Matt Mullenweg was reinstated as CEO after the company's board voted to place him on paid leave, in a move that quickly unraveled when Mullenweg resisted removal and regained control of company systems. The board subsequently confirmed his return with full support, though the exact reasons for the initial ouster remain unclear and board composition changes are reportedly ongoing.
Matt Mullenweg has returned as CEO of Automattic, the major financial backer of WordPress. His reinstatement as leader is seen as positive for WordPress's future given his co-founder status and project involvement.
Automattic founder Matt Mullenweg was reinstated as CEO just two days after the board voted to place him on paid leave and appoint CFO Mark Davies as interim CEO. Mullenweg posted on Slack that the board is "back in agreement" and he is "in control," while Davies' account was deactivated. Mullenweg later posted on X characterizing the episode as a "coup attempt."
A curated Hacker News homepage featuring diverse tech and science content, including discussions on database systems, programming languages, security vulnerabilities, satellite imagery techniques, and industry updates like Rust becoming tier-1 at Microsoft and Matt Mullenweg's return to Automattic control.
Matt Mullenweg announced via Slack that he has regained control of Automattic as CEO, days after the board voted to oust him and place him on paid leave with CFO Mark Davies as interim CEO. The situation remains unclear, with unconfirmed claims of board agreement and conflicting signals from Mullenweg's recent social media activity and unusual Slack posts.
After Automattic's board placed Matt Mullenweg on leave and installed CFO Mark Davies as interim CEO, Mullenweg posted a hiring call for sysadmins and security researchers to move "my stuff" off Automattic, sparking speculation about WordPress.org infrastructure he personally controls. He also broke his 42-year no-swearing streak in internal Slack messages and engaged with critics across social media platforms.
Automattic's board has forced founder and CEO Matt Mullenweg into a paid leave of absence against his will, with CFO Mark Davies appointed as interim CEO. The move comes after years of controversy surrounding Mullenweg's leadership, including a protracted legal battle with WP Engine, mass employee departures, and threats against open-source community members.
Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg was placed on paid leave by the company's board, with CFO Mark Davies voted in as interim CEO. Mullenweg, who founded the company behind WordPress and Tumblr, said he was given only 50 minutes notice and denied time for legal review before the decision was made.