Automattic confirms Mullenweg has returned as CEO after attempted ouster by board
- ID
- 23900
- Status
- summarized
- Published
- 13 Sep 2026, 7:25 AM
- Fetched
- 13 Sep 2026, 8:00 AM
- Provider
- TechCrunch
- Category
- technology
- Original URL
- https://techcrunch.com/2026/09/12/automattic-confirms-mullenweg-has-returned-as-ceo-after-attempted-ouster-by-board/
- Source URL
- https://techcrunch.com/feed/
Summary
- Score
- 3.5
- Created
- 13 Sep 2026, 8:01 AM
- Tags
- Audience
- developerssaas_founders
What happened
Automattic's board voted to put WordPress founder Matt Mullenweg on paid leave, installing CFO Mark Davies as interim CEO, but Mullenweg refused to leave, locked other admins out of company Slack, and has now been confirmed back as chairman and CEO with board support. The episode lasted under a week and included Mullenweg posting 'I'm a pirate now' in Slack and publishing a blog post about buying a houseboat instead of addressing the situation.
Why it matters
For anyone building on WordPress or WooCommerce, this confirms Mullenweg retains full control of Automattic despite board opposition, meaning platform direction and WP.com/WooCommerce roadmap decisions remain concentrated in one person. No immediate action is required, but it signals governance risk for anyone whose business depends on Automattic products.
Discussion angle
What does single-founder control surviving a board ouster mean for ecosystem risk if you build a business on WordPress.com or WooCommerce?