Abstract:
The recent high-level power struggle at WordPress parent company Automattic has undergone a dramatic reversal. Just days after the board attempted to vote to temporarily remove founder and CEO Matt Mullenweg from management, several of the directors who pushed for the decision have left the board while Mullenweg reasserts control of the company.
The incident first occurred in early September. At that time, Automattic's board of directors voted to place Mullenweg on paid leave, with the company's chief financial officer Mark Davis serving as interim CEO. After the news was announced, it triggered widespread attention from the outside world on the internal governance status of this established Internet company.
According to subsequent disclosures, Mullenweg expressed strong dissatisfaction with the board's decision. He posted a message on the company's internal Slack platform, accusing some directors and management members of planning the action behind the scenes, and described the incident as a "coup" against himself. He then began taking steps to regain control of the situation.
As the conflict continued, Mullenweg told employees that he had regained control of the company. He also emphasized through internal communication channels that the relevant issues had been resolved and hinted that he would not accept the result of being marginalized. At the same time, multiple employees confirmed to the media that management power within the company is changing rapidly.
Just a few days later, the situation began to reverse significantly. Automattic officials subsequently issued a statement confirming that Mullenweg had returned as chairman and CEO of the company and had received the support of the board of directors. At the same time, Mark Davis, who was previously appointed as interim CEO, will no longer take over the company's operations.
With the return of Mullenweg, the issue of the retention of many directors has also surfaced. The first person to break the news was Tony Schneider, former CEO of Automattic and current head of Bluesky. The outside world subsequently discovered that he had modified his personal website information and deleted his previous introductions about serving as a director and special advisor of Automattic.
In addition to Schneider, sources also revealed that two other directors, Sue Decker and Ann Dunwoody, have also left the board. Decker's LinkedIn profile has been updated to show that she will serve on Automattic's board of directors until September 2026.
In the face of external inquiries, Automattic did not confirm the specific personnel changes one by one, but a company spokesperson admitted in a statement that some people have left relevant positions. The company said Mullenweg and the management team have respect and gratitude for everyone who has participated in building the company and remain optimistic about future development.
Analysts believe that this result actually means that the directors who previously pushed Mullenweg to leave have lost their influence, so it is no longer surprising that the board of directors has now re-expressed its "full support". The power dynamics within the board have fundamentally changed now that the directors who initially supported the decision to suspend the company with pay have left.
For Automattic, although this management crisis that lasted less than a week has ended, the governance structure issues exposed behind the incident still attract attention. As the most influential figure in the WordPress ecosystem, Mullenweg is not only the founder and core leader of Automattic, but also has a strong influence on the entire WordPress community. The relationship between this kind of personal influence and the traditional board governance model has also become the focus of outside discussion.
Currently, Automattic has returned to being directly led by Mullenweg. The company said that the short-term storm has passed and the team will refocus on product and business development. However, this board of directors "forced out" incident that shocked the Silicon Valley technology circle also allowed the outside world to once again see the huge control of founders in Internet companies, as well as the possible fierce collision between modern corporate governance and the founder's authority.
Related articles:
The board’s failed attempt to force him out of office has subsided. Automattic confirms that founder Matt Mullenweg will return to the CEO role
Comments