Matt Mullenweg’s Unexpected Return to Power at Automattic Sparks Industry Speculation
Well, now—did anyone else get swept up in the whirlwind when Matt Mullenweg suddenly seemed to vanish from the helm of Automattic, only to pop back up claiming control over the Slack channels first? It’s almost like watching a high-stakes game of corporate chess mixed with a bit of digital cloak-and-dagger. Here’s what’s wild: after a swift and surprising board decision swapped Mullenweg out for the interim CFO CEO, it looked like he’d been ousted for good. Yet, in some twist only the internet could script, Matt took charge of the Slack workspace, wielding control there like a backstage pass to the company’s heartbeat. The real kicker? Official communications about these shifts read like they might’ve been penned by entirely different folks—or maybe authored in a late-night caffeine-fueled haze by Matt himself. What does this mean for Automattic’s future and the WordPress community? Well, buckle up—it’s a story of power plays, public maneuvers, and loyalists rallying, with a side of skepticism stirred in. Ready to dive deeper? LEARN MORE.
A spokesperson from Automattic has confirmed that Matt Mullenweg is back in charge of Automattic. The statement follows a period of days when it appeared that Mullenweg had gained access to the Automattic Slack account but not Automattic itself. Yet the statement itself reads as if it were dictated or authored by Mullenweg himself.
Catching Up With The Automattic Drama
On Wednesday, September 9, the Board of Automattic put Matt Mullenweg on paid leave for unspecified reasons and put the CFO, Mark Davies, into the CEO seat. Mullenweg was apparently given fifty minutes’ prior notification of the meeting, and his request for a delay to have an attorney review the move was denied. Mullenweg was subsequently ousted, and Automattic issued the following three-sentence statement:
“Matt Mullenweg is currently on leave from Automattic. Mark Davies, Automattic’s CFO, will lead the company as interim CEO. The Board has full confidence in Mark’s leadership and in the team’s ability to execute against the company’s priorities.”
Matt Mullenweg Back In Control… Of Automattic’s Slack
Automattic however had failed to remove Mullenweg from the company Slack workspace and he took control of it, removed admins, and announced he was back in control.
On Friday September 11 it was reported that Mullenweg was posting to Slack claiming to be back in control of Automattic, though his statement was unsupported by an official statement from Automattic itself. TechCrunch’s headline reflected the uncertainty of whether Mullenweg was indeed in control of Automattic or was simply trolling: “Matt Mullenweg tells (trolls?) Automattic staff, saying he’s back in control after CEO ouster”
Mary Hubbard, the Executive Director of WordPress, tweeted:
“I’m relieved and pleased to see Matt Mullenweg return as CEO of Automattic, the largest financial contributor to the WordPress project. Having WordPress’s Co-founder and Project Lead at the helm gives me confidence that their support will remain strong. Matt has my support.”
That led to a perception that maybe Matt was in control of Automattic’s Slack workspace but not Automattic itself. Numerous Automatticians (Automattic employees) then tweeted on social media in support of Mullenweg, with Mullenweg reposting each post to amplify their comments across social media, effectively drowning out the tweets that supported his ouster.
Statement From Automattic
An official statement was issued just after 5 PM EST on Saturday, September 12:
“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.”
That was the official statement, written in a tone that differs greatly from the first statement in tone, word choice, and sentence structure.
Comparison Of Official Statements
The first official statement is written in a corporate style that is formal, in the third-person and in the language of an officially vetted announcement. It was written in three sentences that communicate three things:
- Mat Mullenweg’s status at Automattic
- Who has succeeded him in the role of CEO
- And that the board has full confidence in the decision.
“Matt Mullenweg is currently on leave from Automattic. Mark Davies, Automattic’s CFO, will lead the company as interim CEO. The Board has full confidence in Mark’s leadership and in the team’s ability to execute against the company’s priorities.”
Comparison To Second Official Statement
The second statement is written in an informal style with a more personal tone that’s completely different from the previous corporate one. It invites the reader of the statement to go online to verify the truth of the statement rather than just state the fact as the first notification did.
The first official statement had three sentences. The second one consists of a single run-on sentence.
Here’s the second communication sent on Saturday:
“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.”
Each statement has a different feel, as if they were authored by different people.
Automatticians Show Support For Mullenweg
Many from Automattic posted supportive tweets like this one from @jamesgrierson:
“I have worked alongside @photomatt first as a contributor and sponsor for 10 years while at Bluehost and then as a co-worker at @automattic
for the last 10 years. The future of Automattic and WordPress are bright, and I am excited for the next 10 years!”
A tweet by @simpledream announced that they are all in on building the open web with Mullenweg:
“I support @photomatt and am all in on the mission to build @WordPress as the foundation of the open web, and @automattic as the company I’m proud to work for, for decades to come.”
Another Automattician, @batuhan, testified to Mullenweg and Automattic’s focus on advancing open source technology and the open web.
They tweeted:
“matt always tries to do what’s best for the community. some of his decisions might spark reactions in parts of the community and ofc he makes mistakes, he is only human.
his passion and love for open source and the WordPress movement and its community is the same as it always been tho. i get to see this every day working and building with him.
…as someone who has been building a new product at Automattic, the top questions I get from people here are always how does this help the open web and how does it help WordPress. that’s also what Matt asked me when i first pitched Spacefast. and it wasn’t an optional question.”
Skepticism In The WordPress Community
Many in the WordPress community who aren’t employed by Automattic had a different opinion.
@cagdasdagg tweeted their skepticism:
“Welcome to the annual Automattician competition to see who loves Matt the most
I’m genuinely curious who asks for this every year?”
Featured Image/Screenshot Keynote – Fireside Chat with Ma.tt Mullenweg
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