Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg placed on leave

Automattic’s board of directors has placed CEO Matt Mullenweg on a paid leave of absence, appointing Chief Financial Officer Mark Davies as interim CEO. The decision was announced by Mullenweg himself via a companywide Slack message on Wednesday, September 9, 2026. Mullenweg stated in his message that he opposed the board's decision and received the resolution only 50 minutes before the meeting where it was voted upon. He also claimed his requests for time to have the resolution reviewed by independent legal counsel were denied. Mullenweg, who founded Automattic in 2003 and is best known as the parent company of WordPress.com, remains on the company's board of directors, according to messages from both Mullenweg and Davies. Automattic, which also owns brands including Tumblr and Pocket Casts, confirmed Mullenweg's leave in a statement, adding that the board has full confidence in Davies's leadership and the team's ability to execute company priorities. Davies also communicated to employees that Mullenweg would retain a voice in setting direction and making decisions as a board member, and that operations would continue without change.