Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg reportedly placed on leave

Mullenweg claims Automattic’s CFO ‘conspired’ with board members to put him on a leave of absence, 404 Media reports.

Matt Mullenweg, the CEO of WordPress.com owner Automattic, has been placed on a paid leave of absence, as reported earlier by 404 Media . In an internal message by the outlet, Mullenweg claims Automattic chief financial officer Mark Davies “conspired” with board members to place him on leave.

“They voted to put me on a paid leave of absence. I voted against that,” Mullenweg wrote, referring to Davies, along with Automattic board members Ann Dunwoody, Toni Schneider, and Sue Decker, 404 Media reports.

Mullenweg, who also co-founded WordPress.org, has headed up Automattic since 2014. In 2024, Mullenweg waged a public pressure campaign against a prominent WordPress host, a move that divided the open-source community and ignited a legal battle that’s still going on today .

Automattic spokesperson Megan Fox confirmed the company’s decision in an emailed statement to The Verge . “Matt Mullenweg is currently on leave from Automattic,” Fox writes. “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.” Mullenweg will remain on Automattic’s board, 404 Media reports.

“Automattic’s board has decided to ask Matt to step away from his CEO role and take a leave of absence,” Schneider said on the company’s internal message board, according to 404 Media . “We have asked Mark Davies to assume the interim CEO role while Matt is out. We’ve worked closely with Mark over the years and we’re confident he will steer the ship well while Matt is away.”

Update, September 9th: Added Automattic’s statement.

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