Matt Mullenweg says he is back as CEO of Automattic — and he is treating the whole thing like a minor inconvenience.
Two days after being placed on a paid leave of absence, Mullenweg told staff in Slack that the board is “back in agreement” and that he is “in control of Automattic.” The message was seen by TechCrunch. Then, late Thursday evening, he posted about the incident on X, calling it a “coup attempt.”
Leave Announcement
On Wednesday, Mullenweg told staff in Slack that CFO Mark Davies “conspired” with the board of directors, who voted to “put me on a paid leave of absence.” Mullenweg said he voted against that decision. He also said the board voted for Davies to become interim CEO.
Davies, in a separate message, said that Mullenweg would still be a board member, according to 404 Media. An Automattic spokesperson told The Verge that Mullenweg was “currently on leave” from the company and confirmed Davies’ interim appointment.
Return Confirmation
In the message viewed by TechCrunch, Mullenweg wrote that the board is “back in agreement” and that he’s “in control of Automattic.” He added that “A lot happened in the past 48 hours that we need to sort out, and I hope much of it was a misunderstanding, because I have huge respect and regard for those involved.”
TechCrunch reports that Davies’ Slack account has been deactivated and that Mullenweg had removed “all” admins from Automattic’s Slack.
WordPress Executive Director Mary Hubbard confirmed Mullenweg’s return to the CEO role in a Friday post on X, which the official WordPress account shared and Mullenweg reposted.
Coup Posts
At 12:20PM ET on Friday, Mullenweg posted on X that “If you don’t have a coup attempt every few years, you’re not hiring strong enough leaders,” adding in a separate post that “I think this was my fifth.” He also published a blog post on Friday titled “Major Life Announcement” about making an offer to buy a houseboat.
Timeline of Events
| Timeline | Event |
|---|---|
| Wednesday | Mullenweg put on leave; Davies named interim CEO |
| Thursday evening | Mullenweg posts about “coup” on X |
| Friday | Hubbard confirms return; Mullenweg reposts her post |
| Friday | Mullenweg posts about fifth “coup” |
The speed of the reversal is notable. Mullenweg went from announcing his leave to confirming his return within two days.
Houseboat Announcement
Mullenweg’s blog post about buying a houseboat came on the same day as his X posts about the board conflict. The contrast is striking: one post treats the leadership fight as a routine setback, the other treats it as a life announcement.
What Automattic Owns
Automattic owns WordPress.com, Tumblr, and Beeper.
Mullenweg’s posts suggest he sees the episode as a normal part of running a company.
Board’s Role
Mary Hubbard, WordPress Executive Director, confirmed Mullenweg’s return publicly. That move puts the board’s decision in question.
Hubbard’s post was shared by the official WordPress account and reposted by Mullenweg himself.
Slack Cleanup
Mullenweg’s removal of all admins from Automattic’s Slack is a significant move.
The deactivation of Davies’ Slack account adds to the picture.
Next Steps
The company has not responded to requests for comment from The Verge. The situation remains unresolved.
Mullenweg’s posts suggest he expects the matter to be resolved soon.
Our View
Mullenweg’s handling of the situation reads as confident, almost casual. He framed the leave as a temporary setback rather than a serious threat to his position.
The speed of the return is the story here. Two days is a remarkably short window for a CEO to be off and back on.
The houseboat announcement adds a layer of personal drama to a corporate dispute. It is the kind of detail that makes the story feel less like a crisis and more like a colorful footnote.
For now, Mullenweg is back in charge. The question of whether the board agrees with him remains open.
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