Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg Put on 'Leave of Absence'
Recorded: Sept. 9, 2026, 10 p.m.
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Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg Put on 'Leave of Absence'
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About Advertisement Go ad free Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg Put on 'Leave of Absence' Samantha Cole · Sep 9, 2026 Matt Mullenweg delivering the summer WordPress update at WordCamp Torino in 2024. Photo credit: ChristopherJClarke on Wikimedia Commons
On a company-wide Slack this morning, Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg announced he has been put on a paid leave of absence.“And the biggest news: I won't be able to make the ELT tomorrow,” Matt wrote in an Announcement Slack. He continued, writing that Mark Davies, current Automattic Chief Financial Officer, has “conspired” with Automattic Board of Directors members Ann Dunwoody, Toni Schneider, and Sue Decker “behind my back and they voted to put me on a paid leave of absence. I voted against that.” He wrote that Davies was voted to be the new interim CEO. “I received the resolution 50 minutes before the meeting start, and requested repeatedly for time to have it reviewed by independent legal counsel, even a few hours, which was denied,” Mullenweg wrote.Mullenweg is the founder of Automattic, the company that owns WordPress, Tumblr, Pocket Casts, and a host of other popular internet brands and pieces of software. Mullenweg has faced several controversies over his management of the company in recent years.In the same Slack channel, Davies wrote that Mullenweg would remain a board member and “he will have a voice in setting direction and making decisions.”"As you have seen from Matt's previous messages, Automattic's board has decided to ask Matt to step away from his CEO role and take a leave of absence,” Schneider wrote following Mullenweg’s message. “We have asked Mark Davies to assume the interim CEO role while Matt is out. We've worked closely with Mark over the years and we're confident he will steer the ship well while Matt is away. I'm sure you will have many questions and Mark and your leadership team will be available to answer them.” “I want to thank Matt for his support and I intend to support him, the Board, Automattic, and our customers during this interim situation,” Davies wrote in that Slack channel. “It will take me some time to come up to speed, but we'll move forward with transparency, communication, and teamwork.” He wrote that nothing will change as a result of Mullenweg’s leave.Mullenweg, Automattic, Schneider, and Davies did not immediately respond to requests for comment.For the last few years, Mullenweg has waged a divisive legal battle with WP Engine, sparing publicly with opponents and peers on social media and in his personal blog. In 2024, he made an “Alignment Offer,” giving Automattic employees who disagreed with his stances the option to take six months of pay or $30,000, whichever was higher, with the stipulation that they would lose access to their work logins that same evening and would not be eligible for rehire.One hundred and fifty-nine people took the offer and left. He then made another buyout offer, and threatened employees who spoke to the press with termination, saying, “exit gracefully, or be fired tomorrow with no severance.” Most recently, Automattic attempted to claim it owns the word “automatic.” About the author More from Samantha Cole More like this Doctor Doom Thanked Seattle for All the Surveillance Cameras ‘We must work to crush any dissent to Doom’s vision of public safety,’ the Marvel supervillain told the city as it considered multiple surveillance proposals. Matthew Gault · Sep 9, 2026 The Remnants of a Lost ‘Supercontinent’ Just Rewrote the History of Life on Earth A team discovered that Gondwana, an ancient landmass that formed more than 500 million years ago, was in fact large enough to be deemed a supercontinent, a finding that sheds light on the “explosion” of ancient Cambrian life. Becky Ferreira · Sep 9, 2026 Smear Campaign Says Anti-Flock Movement Is Chinese Propaganda Sinclair Broadcasting is pushing the idea that China and the No Kings protesters are the reason people don't like Flock. Jason Koebler · Sep 9, 2026 Advertisement Go ad free Advertisement Go ad free • Hide Unparalleled access to hidden worlds both online and IRL. 404 Media is an independent media company founded by technology journalists Jason Koebler, Emanuel Maiberg, Samantha Cole, and Joseph Cox. About Twitter Join the newsletter to get the latest updates.
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Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg announced a paid leave of absence, citing a sense of betrayal regarding the process by which this decision was reached. In a company-wide communication on Slack, Mullenweg asserted that board members conspired behind his back to vote to place him on leave, a decision he voted against. He further detailed that Mark Davies, the current Chief Financial Officer, had been voted in as the interim CEO, and Mullenweg expressed frustration over receiving the resolution minutes before the meeting and being denied requests for time to review the decision with independent legal counsel. In response to Mullenweg's statement, Mark Davies assured him that he would remain a board member and retain a voice in setting direction and making decisions. The board, through members such as Ann Dunwoody, Toni Schneider, and Sue Decker, indicated their decision by confirming that they had asked Mullenweg to step away from the CEO role and appointed Davies as interim CEO. Schneider stated that the board had worked closely with Davies and felt confident in his ability to steer the company during the interim period. Davies further emphasized a commitment to transparency and teamwork, promising that the leave of absence would not result in any changes to the company's status. Mullenweg's tenure at Automattic has been marked by significant controversy. In the years preceding this announcement, he engaged in a contentious legal battle with WP Engine, which he publicly discussed on social media and in his personal blog. This conflict involved various actions taken by Mullenweg concerning employee relations and compensation. In 2024, he implemented an "Alignment Offer," which provided Automattic employees who disagreed with his position with the option to take six months of pay or thirty thousand dollars, contingent upon forfeiting work logins and ineligibility for rehire, which resulted in one hundred fifty-nine employees accepting the offer and leaving the company. Mullenweg also issued buyout offers and threatened termination to employees who spoke to the press, demanding they exit gracefully or face immediate dismissal without severance. Furthermore, the company faced internal disputes, including an attempt to claim ownership over the word "automatic." |