Automattic’s board of directors voted to place founder and CEO Matt Mullenweg on a paid leave of absence on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, according to internal communications reviewed by TechCrunch and 404 Media. Chief Financial Officer Mark Davies has been appointed interim CEO, while Mullenweg remains a board member and retains leadership of the WordPress.org open-source project.
In a company-wide Slack message, Mullenweg wrote that Davies had “conspired” with board members Ann Dunwoody, Toni Schneider, and Sue Decker to remove him from day-to-day operations. He stated that he voted against the resolution and that he received notice only 50 minutes before the meeting, with repeated requests for independent legal review denied.
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Leadership change at Automattic and its ripple effects
The board’s decision separates Mullenweg’s role at the commercial company from his stewardship of the open-source WordPress project. Mary Hubbard, executive director of WordPress.org, confirmed in a separate message that Mullenweg remains project leader and that “our teams, priorities, and work continue as planned.”
Automattic confirmed the transition in an emailed statement, expressing full confidence in Davies’s ability to lead the company. The company owns Tumblr, WooCommerce, Pocket Casts, and WordPress.com, which powers more than 40% of the web.
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The move ends Mullenweg’s 23-year tenure as CEO of the company he founded in 2003 after co-creating WordPress. Schneider, who served as Automattic CEO from 2006 to 2014 before returning to the board, confirmed to 404 Media that the action originated with the board itself.
Litigation, layoffs, and mounting pressure
The leadership shakeup comes amid one of the most turbulent periods in the company’s history. Automattic remains locked in a legal battle with WP Engine, a WordPress hosting competitor, over Mullenweg’s demand that the company pay an 8% royalty on monthly gross revenue for using the WordPress brand. WP Engine filed suit in October 2024, alleging defamation and abuse of power, and Automattic later filed counterclaims. In February, WP Engine asserted that Automattic planned to target 10 additional competitors with similar royalty demands.
Mullenweg’s leadership style has drawn criticism. In 2024, he offered employees severance if they disagreed with his direction, and 159 staff members accepted. He also threatened to deactivate WordPress.org accounts for community members planning a fork of the open-source project. In April 2025, Automattic laid off 16% of its workforce, including long-tenured employees.
Reaction among current staff appears divided. Sources told TechCrunch that some employees expressed relief or excitement about the change, while others voiced concern that the abrupt transition adds further instability to a company already handling legal and reputational challenges.
What to watch as Automattic transitions leadership
The board has not disclosed a timeline for Mullenweg’s leave or a rationale for the timing. One source speculated that the decision may relate to Mullenweg’s annual Burning Man trip, which ended September 7, after which he reportedly returns “with ideas.”
For the broader WordPress ecosystem, the key question is whether Davies’s interim leadership signals a shift in how Automattic approaches its commercial relationships with hosting providers and community contributors. The WP Engine litigation remains unresolved, and how the company proceeds under new leadership could reshape its relationship with the open-source community that underpins its products.
Investors and developers will also watch whether the board’s move presages a more permanent separation between Automattic’s commercial operations and Mullenweg’s leadership of WordPress.org. Mullenweg did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Automattic’s board has not indicated whether it will conduct a formal search for a permanent CEO or whether Davies will continue in the role beyond the interim period. The company’s next quarterly earnings report may offer further clarity on its strategic direction.
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