Automattic board forces CEO Matt Mullenweg on leave; CFO Mark Davies named interim CEO
bytebot · x · 2026-09-10
Automattic's board has voted to place founder and CEO Matt Mullenweg on a paid leave of absence against his will, according to a Slack message seen by TechCrunch.
- Mullenweg announced internally that CFO Mark Davies had "conspired" with board members Ann Dunwoody, Toni Schneider, and Sue Decker to push the vote; he voted against it.
- Mark Davies has been voted in as interim CEO.
- Mullenweg says he received the resolution only 50 minutes before the meeting and was repeatedly denied time to have it reviewed by independent legal counsel.
- The move marks a dramatic governance escalation at the parent company of WordPress.com.
Related event: Automattic Board Forces Out Founder Matt Mullenweg as CEO(3 posts)→
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