Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg 'forced' into leave of absence by WordPress parent company board

Matt Mullenweg voted out (temporarily) as Automattic CEO

by · TechRadar

News By Craig Hale Published 10 September 2026

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

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  • Matt Mullenweg accuses Automattic board of conspiring against him
  • Former CEO is now in a period of paid leave
  • His role at WordPress.org is currently unaffected

Automattic CEO and founder Matt Mullenweg has been placed on a paid leave of absence by the company's board, but while this is currently being seen as a temporary measure, Automattic has not publicly stated how long the leave will last.

The reason for the board's decision remains unclear, but TechCrunch reports that some employees were "ecstatic" or "relieved" at the decision.

However, Mullenweg is clearly unhappy with the decision, alleging that the board gave him 50 minutes' notice before the meeting and insufficient time to seek legal counsel.

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Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg on paid absence

Mullenweg remains a member of Automattic's board, but claimed in a company-wide Slack message seen by TechCrunch that CFO Mark Davies had "conspired" with board members Ann Dunwoody, Toni Schneider and Sue Decker to remove him temporarily. Mullenweg, a board member, voted against the change but was, of course, outvoted. Davies has been appointed interim CEO in the meantime.

"I won’t be able to make the [meeting] tomorrow. @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 said.

"Matt remains the leader of the WordPress project and I remain Executive Director of WordPress. Our teams, priorities, and work continue as planned," WordPress.org executive director Mary Hubbard wrote. WordPress.com (an Automattic product) runs on WordPress.org.

While the reasons have not been publicly shared, Mullenweg hasn't been short of the odd high-profile incident in recent years. He accused WP Engine of profiting from the WordPress ecosystem, which resulted in WP Engine suing Automattic and Mullenweg.

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