Key facts
- Automattic confirmed Matt Mullenweg has returned as CEO.
- The company stated Mullenweg has the full support of the board.
- Mullenweg was previously placed on a paid leave of absence by a board vote.
- Automattic's CFO Mark Davies had been named interim CEO.
- Mullenweg claimed he was back in control and had booted other admins from the company Slack.
Automattic, the parent company of WordPress.com, confirmed on Saturday evening that founder Matt Mullenweg has returned as CEO, stating he has "full support of the board." This comes after a tumultuous week where the board had voted to place Mullenweg on a paid leave of absence for undisclosed reasons.
Mullenweg had accused board members of "conspiring" against him and claimed he was back in control via a Slack message, stating, "the board is back in agreement, and I’m in control of Automattic." He also reportedly removed other administrators from the company's Slack and posted cryptic messages, including "I’m a pirate now." Automattic's CFO, Mark Davies, who had been named interim CEO, had his Slack account deactivated.
Mary Hubbard, Executive Director of WordPress.org, expressed her relief and pleasure at Mullenweg's return. The reasons for Mullenweg's initial leave of absence remain unknown, and Automattic has not yet responded to requests for comment on the situation.