Automattic board forces CEO Mullenweg on leave
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The gist
Automattic's board put CEO Matt Mullenweg on a paid leave of absence against his will.
The WordPress.com owner's CFO now runs the company, raising questions about its direction.
Background
Mullenweg founded Automattic in 2003 after co-creating WordPress, the open-source system that powers many websites, and the company also owns Tumblr, WooCommerce and Pocket Casts. On Wednesday he told employees in a company-wide Slack message that CFO Mark Davies had "conspired" with board members Ann Dunwoody, Toni Schneider and Sue Decker to vote him onto leave. Automattic confirmed the leave and said Davies will serve as interim CEO, while Mullenweg remains on the board of directors.
How it unfolded
- Sep 9, 2026Mullenweg posts in a company-wide Slack channel that CFO Mark Davies "conspired" with board members Ann Dunwoody, Toni Schneider and Sue Decker to vote him onto a paid leave of absence.
- Sep 9, 2026Board member Toni Schneider tells employees the board decided to ask Mullenweg to step away from the CEO role, and that Mark Davies will serve as interim CEO.
- Sep 9, 2026An Automattic spokesperson confirms to TechCrunch that Mullenweg is on leave and that the board has "full confidence" in Davies' leadership.
Who’s saying what
- Official
- An Automattic spokesperson said Mullenweg is on leave, Davies will lead as interim CEO, and the board has full confidence in him and the team.
- Mullenweg
- In a company-wide Slack message, Mullenweg said board members "conspired" behind his back to vote him onto leave; his message did not make clear why the board acted.
- Board
- Board member Toni Schneider told employees the board decided to ask Mullenweg to step away from the CEO role and is confident Davies will "steer the ship well."
Still unverified
The board's reason for the leave is not stated in Mullenweg's Slack message or the company statement; sources told 404 Media that Schneider confirmed the action was initiated by the board. Mullenweg, Schneider and Davies did not immediately respond to requests for comment.