Automattic confirms Mullenweg has returned as CEO after tried ouster by board

After a tumultuous week, which noticed WordPress founder Matt Mullenweg ousted from his place as CEO of Automattic, WordPress.com’s dad or mum firm, by the use of a board vote, the corporate has now issued an announcement confirming that Mullenweg has returned to his place.

“Matt Mullenweg is the chairman and CEO of Automattic, with full assist of the board and if you happen to search on-line you possibly can see many high executives and Automatticians supporting him as effectively,” an organization spokesperson shared with TechCrunch through e-mail simply after 5 PM ET on Saturday night. (The point out of on-line assist seems to check with supportive posts on X that Mullenweg has been reposting from his X account.)

Automattic’s board had voted earlier this week to place Mullenweg on a paid depart of absence for unknown causes. The transfer seemingly got here as a shock to Mullenweg, who posted on Automattic’s Slack, accusing the board members of “conspiring” in opposition to him.

Automattic confirmed Mullenweg’s removing to TechCrunch on Wednesday, saying that Mullenweg was “at the moment on depart” and that Automattic’s Chief Monetary Officer, Mark Davies, would lead as interim CEO with “full confidence” of the board.

Nevertheless, the board’s plan didn’t go easily. Seemingly declining to depart, Mullenweg booted different admins out of the corporate Slack and advised staff all the pieces had been labored out and that he was again in charge of Automattic, a number of sources advised TechCrunch. At one level, he additionally posted to Slack, “I’m a pirate now” and cursed, which is one thing Mullenweg famously did not do. “If that is an HR downside, please wrangle me in since my regular wranglers are with Mark Davies,” he wrote.

When TechCrunch requested Mullenweg if his feedback about being again as CEO have been reliable, he promised a weblog submit was coming. When IT arrived, nonetheless, IT was about him buying a houseboat. After we requested if his feedback about being again have been additionally him trolling, he replied, “I’m not a troll I’m a pirate, clearly.” Mullenweg by no means offered any official remark about his return, but noted on X that this was doubtless the fifth time he’s confronted a “coup.”

Automattic additionally didn’t reply to repeated requests for touch upon Friday, nor to experiences we heard about board member Toni Schneider stepping down. Schneider, a founding CEO of Automattic, now leads Bluesky. He didn’t return requests for remark at his private e-mail or through requests despatched to Bluesky.

We now have since requested Automattic once more about this and different adjustments to the board’s composition, which we’re listening to nonetheless could also be in flux.