Automattic's board has forced founder and CEO Matt Mullenweg onto a paid leave of absence, appointing CFO Mark Davies as interim CEO. Mullenweg claimed he was blindsided, learning of the decision just 50 minutes before the vote and being denied time to consult independent legal counsel. WordPress.org stated it is unaffected and Mullenweg remains its leader.
Background
Automattic is the parent company of WordPress.com and is known for its fully remote work model. Matt Mullenweg co-founded both WordPress and Automattic in 2003, making this a significant leadership change at one of the most influential companies in the open-source ecosystem.
- Source
- TechCrunch
- Published
- Sep 10, 2026 at 07:14 AM
- Score
- 7.0 / 10