Matt Mullenweg regains control of Automattic within 48 hours as board confirms he remains CEO

Matt Mullenweg, the WordPress founder and chief executive of Automattic, returned to power less than 48 hours after the company’s board voted to place him on leave. On Sept. 11, Mullenweg told staff in Automattic’s internal Slack that the board had reached a consensus and that he had regained control of the company. A day later, an Automattic spokesperson confirmed by email that Mullenweg remains chairman and CEO and has the board’s full support. The reversal came after the board voted on Sept. 9 to put him on paid leave and named chief financial officer Mark Davies as interim CEO. Mullenweg later said directors had acted behind his back and described the move as the fifth “coup” he had faced. The company still has not explained why the board removed him in the first place. Mullenweg also suggested on Reddit and X that Silver Lake was involved in an effort to “destroy” his life, though the report said there is no independent evidence supporting that claim. Questions also remain around Davies’ status and possible board changes, including an unconfirmed report that former Automattic director and current Bluesky CEO Toni Schneider has stepped down from the board.