After a week characterized by high-stakes corporate drama, unexpected executive maneuvers, and cryptic social media declarations, Matt Mullenweg has officially returned to his position as the chief executive officer of Automattic. The parent company of WordPress.com confirmed the development late Saturday evening, bringing a sudden and dramatic halt to a boardroom showdown that had briefly threatened to upend leadership at one of the web’s most influential infrastructure companies.
The reversal comes just days after Automattic’s board of directors voted to force Mullenweg into a paid leave of absence under mysterious circumstances, a move that triggered an immediate and defiant counter-offensive from the company’s co-founder.
"Matt Mullenweg is the chairman and CEO of Automattic, with full support of the board and if you search online you can see many top executives and Automatticians supporting him as well," a company spokesperson shared via email just after 5 PM Eastern Time on Saturday. The reference to online support appeared to point toward a flurry of supportive posts circulating on X, which Mullenweg had actively reposted through his personal account as the corporate crisis unfolded.
The intense sequence of events began earlier in the week when Automattic’s board voted to sideline Mullenweg, placing him on a paid leave of absence for reasons that remained unspecified by the company. The sudden decision caught the tech industry—and apparently Mullenweg himself—completely off guard. Reacting swiftly to the board’s maneuver, Mullenweg took to Automattic’s internal Slack workspace to air his grievances, openly accusing board members of "conspiring" against him.
Automattic initially confirmed Mullenweg’s removal to reporters on Wednesday, verifying that the co-founder was "currently on leave." During that brief window, the company announced that Chief Financial Officer Mark Davies would step in to lead the organization as interim CEO, maintaining what the board described at the time as its "full confidence."
However, the board’s transition plan quickly unraveled. Rather than quietly stepping away, Mullenweg resisted the directive. According to multiple sources familiar with the internal operations, Mullenweg utilized administrative controls to lock other system administrators out of the company Slack. He then messaged employees to inform them that the situation had been resolved and that he was back in control of Automattic.
The internal communications also featured a distinct shift in tone from the normally measured executive. At one point during the Slack standoff, Mullenweg posted messages declaring, "I’m a pirate now," while dropping profanity—behavior that stood in stark contrast to his usual public and private demeanor. "If this is an HR problem, please wrangle me in since my normal wranglers are with Mark Davies," he wrote to employees.
When questioned about the legitimacy of his claims regarding his reinstatement, Mullenweg initially teased an upcoming blog post. When that post finally materialized, however, it turned out to be an essay detailing his recent purchase of a houseboat. When pressed further on whether his statements amounted to deliberate trolling, he doubled down on his nautical theme, replying, "I’m not a troll I’m a pirate, obviously."
Despite the unconventional communication style, Mullenweg never issued a formal, traditional press statement detailing the mechanics of his return. Instead, he took to X to contextualize the ordeal, noting to followers that the boardroom challenge was likely the fifth time he had faced what he characterized as a "coup" over the course of his career leading the company.
The corporate turbulence may also have triggered broader changes within Automattic’s leadership structure. Throughout Friday, the company failed to respond to repeated inquiries regarding reports that board member Toni Schneider had stepped down from his position. Schneider, who serves as the founding CEO of Automattic and currently leads Bluesky as its interim CEO, did not return requests for comment sent to his personal email or routed through Bluesky.
Automattic has since been pressed for clarification regarding Schneider’s status and any additional adjustments to the composition of the board of directors, with indications suggesting that governance structures may remain fluid in the wake of the week’s events. For now, however, the company’s official stance confirms that the dust has settled around the executive suite, leaving Mullenweg firmly back at the helm of the organization he helped build.