Matt Mullenweg Reclaims Automattic Control Days After Board Ouster

TL;DR

• Matt Mullenweg reportedly told Automattic staff in an internal Slack message seen by TechCrunch that he is back in control, just days after the board placed him on leave.
• The alleged reversal suggests a dramatic board shakeup, though Automattic has not publicly confirmed who was removed, who remains, or what triggered the about-face.
• The whiplash raises fresh questions about governance at Automattic and the WordPress ecosystem, from WooCommerce and Tumblr to open-source trust.

A Whiplash Week At Automattic

In a saga that already felt unprecedented for one of the open web's most influential companies, Automattic has taken another sharp turn. According to TechCrunch, which says it viewed an internal Slack message, co-founder Matt Mullenweg told employees this week that he is back in charge — only days after the company's board reportedly placed him on leave.

Mullenweg's message was brief but bombshell in tone, signaling to staff that the leave is over and that operational control has returned to him. Neither Automattic nor Mullenweg has issued a formal public statement confirming the details, and TechCrunch's reporting remains the primary source for the internal communication.

If accurate, it would cap one of the most chaotic leadership episodes in Automattic's 20-year history, reversing a decision that stunned WordPress developers, enterprise customers, and Silicon Valley observers alike.

What We Know About The Alleged Board Reversal

The initial move to place Mullenweg on leave was itself shrouded in secrecy. No press release was issued, no interim CEO was named publicly, and staff were reportedly informed internally with little explanation.

Now, sources cited in the TechCrunch reporting suggest the board has reversed course. What changed remains unclear. There are three leading theories circulating among insiders and WordPress community watchers: intense internal pressure from long-tenured staff loyal to Mullenweg, pushback from investors and commercial partners worried about instability across Automattic's portfolio, and a legal or governance maneuver that made the leave untenable.

Mullenweg, who founded Automattic in 2005 and also leads the non-profit WordPress.org project as its co-creator, has long held outsized influence over both entities. That dual role makes any attempt to sideline him uniquely complicated — both structurally and culturally.

An Unconfirmed Leadership Shakeup

Even murkier than the reversal itself is what it means for Automattic's board and executive team. Multiple unconfirmed reports point to a leadership shakeup behind closed doors, with speculation that directors who backed the leave decision have been removed or resigned.

As of Friday, September 11, 2026, Automattic's official leadership page and corporate filings offer no clarity. The company has not confirmed any departures, appointments, or changes to its governance structure. TechCrunch has not named the directors allegedly involved, and no SEC filings or independent statements have yet surfaced to corroborate a full board overhaul.

That vacuum has fueled intense speculation on X, Hacker News, and WordPress Slack channels, where former employees and community leaders are debating whether Mullenweg orchestrated a counter-coup, whether the board fractured, or whether outside mediators brokered a return.

For now, the only on-record signal is Mullenweg's own reported Slack note to staff claiming victory — not an official corporate resolution.

Why This Matters For WordPress

The stakes extend far beyond one company's org chart. Automattic is the commercial powerhouse behind WordPress.com, WooCommerce, Jetpack, Tumblr, and a growing AI and messaging portfolio that includes Beeper and Day One. It is also inextricably linked to WordPress.org, the open-source project that powers more than 40% of the web.

Any prolonged leadership crisis at Automattic instantly ripples into the ecosystem. Plugin developers, theme shops, hosting companies, and enterprise agencies all depend on stable APIs, security updates, and a predictable roadmap for Gutenberg, the block editor at the heart of modern WordPress.

The past year has already strained trust in that relationship, following Mullenweg's highly public legal and rhetorical battle with hosting giant WP Engine over trademarks, contributions, and the future of open source. Critics argued the fight centralized too much power around one person. Supporters argued Mullenweg was defending WordPress from exploitation. A board attempt to remove him — followed by a rapid reinstatement — will only intensify that debate over centralization versus stewardship.

What Comes Next For Automattic

Three questions will define what happens next.

First, will Automattic acknowledge the reversal publicly? Employees and customers are demanding transparency about who is actually running the company and under what authority. Silence risks further leaks and talent attrition.

Second, what concessions, if any, were made? A return to the status quo seems unlikely after such a public rupture. Expect renewed calls for clearer separation between Automattic Inc. and WordPress.org governance, independent board oversight, and succession planning.

Third, can Mullenweg rebuild momentum? Automattic has been betting big on AI-powered publishing, commerce, and federated messaging while managing layoffs and restructuring. A distracted, divided leadership team threatens product velocity at a moment when competition from Shopify, Substack, Webflow, and AI-native CMS platforms is fiercer than ever.

For now, Mullenweg appears to be signaling business as usual — that he never truly left, and that Automattic's mission remains unchanged. Whether staff, users, and the broader WordPress community believe that will determine if this is the end of the crisis, or just the end of its first act.

AndroGuider Team

Articles written by the AndroGuider team. We try to make them thorough and informational while being easy to read.