Automattic Board Forces Matt Mullenweg onto Leave, Names Interim CEO
Automattic's board places WordPress co-creator Matt Mullenweg on paid leave and names CFO Mark Davies interim CEO amid ongoing legal and workforce turmoil.
Summary
Automattic’s board put founder and CEO Matt Mullenweg on paid leave against his will on September 9, 2026, appointing CFO Mark Davies interim CEO. Mullenweg told employees that Davies and directors Ann Dunwoody, Toni Schneider and Sue Decker acted behind his back. He received the resolution 50 minutes before the meeting and said his requests for even a few hours of independent legal review were denied. Automattic expressed full confidence in Davies, while Mullenweg remains a director. The board has not disclosed its reason.
WordPress executive director Mary Hubbard said Mullenweg still leads the open-source WordPress project and WordPress.org’s teams, priorities and work remain unchanged. Mullenweg founded Automattic in 2003 after co-creating WordPress; the company owns WordPress.com, Tumblr, WooCommerce and Pocket Casts.
The leadership change follows prolonged conflict with WP Engine. Mullenweg accused the hosting rival of benefiting from WordPress without contributing enough and demanded 8% of its monthly gross revenue for using the WordPress brand. WP Engine sued Automattic and Mullenweg in October 2024, alleging defamation and abuse of power; Automattic filed counterclaims in 2025. In February, WP Engine claimed Automattic planned royalty demands against 10 more competitors. In 2024, Mullenweg offered severance to dissenting employees and 159 left. In 2025, he threatened several WordPress.org members with account deactivation after two planned a fork. Automattic cut 16% of staff in April 2025, including employees with more than a decade at the company. Some current employees are relieved or ecstatic about the leave, while others fear greater instability.
Positives
- Mark Davies received the board’s full confidence and immediately assumed leadership as Automattic’s interim CEO.
- Matt Mullenweg remains on Automattic’s board despite losing day-to-day control of the company.
- Mary Hubbard said WordPress.org’s teams, priorities and work will continue unchanged under the existing project leadership.
- Some Automattic employees described Mullenweg’s leave as relieving or welcome news.
Risks & concerns
- Automattic’s board has not disclosed why it forced Matt Mullenweg onto paid leave.
- Mullenweg received the resolution only 50 minutes before the meeting and said independent legal review was denied.
- WP Engine’s October 2024 lawsuit accuses Automattic and Mullenweg of defamation and abuse of power.
- WP Engine claimed 10 additional competitors could face Automattic royalty demands tied to the WordPress brand.
- 159 employees accepted severance in 2024 after Mullenweg invited dissenters to leave.
- Automattic’s April 2025 layoff eliminated 16% of staff, while the latest leadership change creates further instability.
