Matt Mullenweg’s 48-Hour CEO Coup: How the WordPress Founder Reclaimed Automattic
Mullenweg said the board is back in agreement after a paid leave and interim CEO move that followed allegations of a coup attempt.
- On Friday, Matt Mullenweg announced he was reinstated as CEO of Automattic via a Slack message, stating the board is "back in agreement" and he is "in control of Automattic."
- Two days earlier, Automattic's board voted to place Mullenweg on paid leave, appointing CFO Mark Davies as interim CEO. Mullenweg claimed Davies "conspired" with the board behind his back.
- TechCrunch reported Mullenweg deactivated Davies' Slack account and removed all admins from Automattic Slack. He also suggested Silver Lake was involved in a plan to "destroy" his life.
- Automattic has not yet confirmed the reinstatement. A spokesperson previously told The Verge that Mullenweg was "currently on leave" and confirmed Davies' interim appointment, but the company has not responded to recent requests for comment.
- The leadership turmoil coincides with a lawsuit involving WordPress hosting company WP Engine, majority-owned by Silver Lake. Mullenweg posted that "Boards are never boring," suggesting he views the situation as a misunderstanding.
12 Articles
12 Articles
Matt Mullenweg’s 48-Hour CEO Coup: How the WordPress Founder Reclaimed Automattic
Matt Mullenweg was placed on paid leave by Automattic's board on Sept. 9 after accusing directors of conspiracy. Two days later he declared himself back in control via Slack. The rapid reversal leaves governance questions unanswered at the company powering 40% of the web.
Matt Mullenweg reportedly returns as Automattic CEO two days after getting booted
Two days after being placed on a paid leave of absence, Matt Mullenweg says he has been reinstated as CEO of Automattic, according to a Slack message seen by TechCrunch. As 404 Media reported on Wednesday, Mullenweg had told staff in Slack that CFO Mark Davies "conspired" with the board of directors, who voted to […]
Matt Mullenweg tells (trolls?) Automattic staff, saying he's back in control after CEO ouster
In a Slack message seen by TechCrunch, Matt Mullenweg told Automattic employees he’s back in control of the company, days after its board put him on leave. Automattic has not yet confirmed the apparent reversal.
TechCrunch: Matt Mullenweg tells (trolls?) Automattic staff, saying he’s back in control after CEO ouster
TechCrunch: Matt Mullenweg tells (trolls?) Automattic staff, saying he’s back in control after CEO ouster. “Matt Mullenweg has posted a message to Automattic’s Slack, claiming he is back in control as CEO of the WordPress.com parent company, according to a screenshot of the message seen by TechCrunch, which was confirmed by multiple employee sources.”
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