Matt Mullenweg, the founder and CEO of Automattic, has been placed on a leave of absence by the company's board, as reported in a Slack message viewed by TechCrunch. Mullenweg stated in the message that Chief Financial Officer Mark Davies, along with board members Ann Dunwoody, Toni Schneider, and Sue Decker, voted to put him on paid leave, a decision he opposed. He expressed this in a Slack channel accessible to all employees, stating, "Mark Davies has conspired with Ann Dunwoody, Toni, and Sue Decker behind my back and they voted to put me on a paid leave of absence." He mentioned that he received the resolution shortly before a scheduled meeting and requested time to consult with independent legal counsel, which was denied.
Mary Hubbard, executive director of WordPress.org, confirmed Mullenweg's leave in a message to the open-source community, noting that it would not affect the WordPress project, stating, "Matt remains the leader of the WordPress project and I remain Executive Director of WordPress. Our teams, priorities, and work continue as planned."
Sources informed 404 Media that the board's action was confirmed by Schneider, who previously served as CEO of Automattic from 2006 to 2014. Davies communicated to employees that Mullenweg would remain on the board of directors.
Automattic issued a statement to TechCrunch confirming Mullenweg's leave, stating, "Matt Mullenweg is currently on leave from Automattic. Mark Davies, Automattic’s CFO, will lead the company as interim CEO. The Board has full confidence in Mark’s leadership and in the team’s ability to execute against the company’s priorities."
Founded by Mullenweg in 2003, Automattic is known for its ownership of WordPress.com, Tumblr, WooCommerce, and Pocket Casts. The company has faced various legal challenges in recent years, including a lawsuit with WP Engine, a competitor in the WordPress hosting space. The legal dispute arose after Mullenweg accused WP Engine of profiting from the WordPress project without contributing to the community, leading to a demand for a royalty fee based on their revenue.
In October 2024, WP Engine filed a lawsuit against Automattic and Mullenweg, alleging defamation and abuse of power, while Automattic filed counterclaims. Tensions within the company escalated to the point where Mullenweg suggested in 2024 that employees who disagreed with him could leave with severance, resulting in 159 employees departing.
In 2025, Automattic laid off 16% of its workforce, including long-term employees. Reactions among current employees to Mullenweg's leave have varied, with some expressing relief while others feel uncertain about the future stability of the company. Speculation exists regarding the timing of the board's decision, with some suggesting it may relate to Mullenweg's annual attendance at the Burning Man festival, which concluded on September 7.
Mullenweg has not yet responded to requests for comment regarding his leave.