Matt Mullenweg, the co-founder and chief executive of Automattic, told employees in Slack that he has been reinstated as CEO, just two days after the company’s board placed him on a paid leave of absence. The reversal, first reported by TechCrunch and covered by The Verge, caps a chaotic week at the company behind WordPress.com, WooCommerce, Tumblr, and Jetpack.

A boardroom rupture—and a rapid return

According to 404 Media, Mullenweg informed staff on Wednesday that CFO Mark Davies had “conspired” with the board of directors, which voted to “put me on a paid leave of absence.” Mullenweg said he voted against the measure. He also told employees that the board had voted for Davies to become interim CEO. In a separate Slack message, Davies said Mullenweg would remain a board member.

By Friday—two days after the leave was reported—Mullenweg said he was back in control. The Verge cited a Slack message seen by TechCrunch in which Mullenweg announced his reinstatement. An Automattic spokesperson told The Verge that Mullenweg was “currently …” but the statement was truncated in the outlet’s report, leaving the company’s official position incomplete.

“conspired” with the board of directors, who voted to “put me on a paid leave of absence.” — Matt Mullenweg, in a Slack message to staff, as reported by 404 Media.

How the story was framed

The Verge emphasized the speed of the reversal: “two days after getting booted,” as its headline put it, Mullenweg claimed he was back. The outlet also noted that the company spokesperson’s comment was cut off, adding to the uncertainty. Inc. focused on the founder’s accusation of a boardroom conspiracy, framing the episode as a dramatic power struggle between a founder and his directors. MSN’s aggregations highlighted two competing angles—Mullenweg telling staff in Slack he was back in control after a CEO ouster, and the board forcing him into a leave of absence.

Together, the accounts paint a picture of a company in open conflict, with employees learning about leadership changes through internal Slack messages rather than formal public announcements. The lack of a clear, on-the-record statement from Automattic’s board or its PR team has left ample room for speculation.

Why Automattic matters

Automattic is not a typical startup. Founded in 2005, it has grown into one of the most influential companies on the open web. It operates WordPress.com, the commercial arm of the WordPress open-source project; WooCommerce, a leading e-commerce platform; Tumblr; Jetpack; and a suite of publishing and commerce tools. WordPress alone powers more than 40% of all websites, according to widely cited industry data, making Automattic a critical piece of internet infrastructure.

Mullenweg is the public face of that ecosystem. He co-created WordPress and has led Automattic for nearly two decades, becoming known for his strong opinions and willingness to wade into contentious debates. Any instability at the top therefore ripples far beyond a single company’s boardroom—affecting developers, hosting partners, enterprise customers, and the broader open-source community.

The governance questions

The episode raises fundamental questions about corporate governance at founder-led companies. Automattic’s board apparently moved to sideline Mullenweg, only for him to declare himself reinstated days later. If his account is accurate, it suggests the board’s authority was effectively challenged—and possibly reversed—by the founder it sought to check.

Such clashes are not unprecedented. Founder-CEOs often hold significant influence through ownership stakes, voting agreements, or sheer cultural authority. But when a board votes to place a CEO on leave, it typically signals deep concern about performance, conduct, or strategy. The fact that Mullenweg described the move as a “conspiracy” and voted against it indicates that the decision was not unanimous.

• The board’s position: Directors voted to place Mullenweg on paid leave and named CFO Mark Davies interim CEO, according to 404 Media.
• Mullenweg’s position: He called the move a conspiracy, opposed it in the vote, and said two days later that he was back as CEO.
• Davies’s position: In a separate Slack message, he said Mullenweg would remain on the board, according to 404 Media.
• Automattic’s public position: A spokesperson told The Verge that Mullenweg was “currently …” but the comment was truncated, leaving the official stance unclear.

What happens next

If Mullenweg’s reinstatement holds, the immediate crisis may subside, but the underlying tensions are unlikely to disappear. The board’s attempt to remove him—even temporarily—suggests dissatisfaction that will not be resolved by a Slack announcement. Employees may be left wondering who is actually in charge, and investors or partners could seek clarity.

If the board disputes his return, the conflict could escalate into a legal battle over corporate control. Automattic is a private company, so such fights can play out away from public markets, but the stakes for the WordPress ecosystem remain high. The company’s next public statement will be closely watched for signs of whether a truce has been reached or whether the battle is just beginning.

For now, the only certainty is uncertainty. One thing is clear: in the span of a week, Matt Mullenweg went from being placed on leave by his board to declaring himself back at the helm—a whiplash moment that underscores just how personal and unpredictable founder-led governance can be.