Matt Mullenweg, CEO of Automattic, placed on paid leave

<figure> <img alt="A photo of Matt Mullenweg" src="https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/gettyimages-2181259946.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0,0,100,100" /> <figcaption> </figcaption> </figure> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">Matt Mullenweg, the CEO of Automattic, the company that owns WordPress.com, has been placed on a paid leave of absence, according to a report by <a href="https://www.404media.co/wordpress-automattic-ceo-matt-mullenweg-put-on-leave-of-absence/"><em>404 Media</em></a>. In an internal message, Mullenweg stated that Automattic's chief financial officer Mark Davies "conspired" with board members to facilitate his leave.</p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">Mullenweg wrote, "They voted to put me on a paid leave of absence. I voted against that," referring to Davies and Automattic board members Ann Dunwoody, Toni Schneider, and Sue Decker, as reported by <em>404 Media</em>.</p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">Mullenweg, who co-founded WordPress.org, has been leading Automattic since 2014. In 2024, he engaged in a public pressure campaign against ...</p> <p><a href="https://www.theverge.com/tech/993022/wordpress-automattic-ceo-matt-mullenweg-leave-of-absence">Read the full story at The Verge.</a></p>