Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg has reportedly been placed on a paid leave of absence, marking a major leadership shake-up at the company behind WordPress.com, WooCommerce, Tumblr, and other web publishing tools.
The news was first reported by 404 Media, which cited an internal message from Mullenweg to Automattic staff. In that message, Mullenweg reportedly said Automattic chief financial officer Mark Davies and several board members had “conspired” to put him on leave. According to the report, Mullenweg said he voted against the move.
Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg Leave: What Reportedly Happened
Per 404 Media’s reporting, the vote involved Davies and Automattic board members Ann Dunwoody, Toni Schneider, and Sue Decker. Mullenweg reportedly told employees that “they voted to put me on a paid leave of absence,” while making clear that he did not support the decision.
Automattic has not publicly laid out the full reasoning behind the reported leave, and the situation remains fluid. Still, the development is significant because Mullenweg is not just another tech CEO. He is one of the most influential figures in the modern web, having co-founded WordPress.org and led Automattic for more than a decade.
Why Matt Mullenweg’s Leave Matters for WordPress
WordPress powers a massive share of the web, and Mullenweg has long been central to both its commercial and open-source worlds. Automattic operates WordPress.com, while WordPress.org remains the home of the open-source software used by publishers, businesses, developers, and independent site owners around the world.
That overlap has often made Mullenweg a powerful — and sometimes controversial — voice in conversations about open-source governance, web hosting, and the future of online publishing. Any uncertainty around his role at Automattic is likely to draw close attention from WordPress developers, enterprise customers, agencies, and hosting providers.
The WP Engine Dispute Still Looms Over Automattic
The reported leave also comes after a turbulent period for Mullenweg and the WordPress ecosystem. In 2024, he publicly criticized WP Engine, a major WordPress hosting company, in a dispute that quickly became one of the most closely watched conflicts in open-source tech.
That fight raised broader questions about trademarks, community obligations, commercial use of open-source software, and how much influence a project’s co-founder should have over its ecosystem. For many observers, the latest leadership news will be viewed through that recent history.
What Happens Next at Automattic?
For now, the biggest unanswered question is whether Mullenweg’s leave is temporary in the ordinary sense, or whether it signals a deeper power struggle inside Automattic’s leadership team. Paid leaves of absence can happen for many reasons, but the language reportedly used in Mullenweg’s internal message suggests clear tension between the CEO and members of the company’s board.
Automattic’s products are deeply embedded in the daily operations of publishers, e-commerce brands, bloggers, and developers. That means stability at the top of the company matters beyond internal politics. Customers and contributors will be watching for signs of continuity, especially around WordPress.com, WooCommerce, and Automattic’s role in the broader WordPress project.
Until Automattic or Mullenweg provides more public detail, the story remains one of the most important tech leadership developments in the WordPress world this year.
Tags: #MattMullenweg #Automattic #WordPress #TechNews #OpenSource
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