Matt Mullenweg, founder and CEO of Automattic, has been placed on a leave of absence by his board against his will, according to a Slack message viewed by TechCrunch. In a surprising turn of events, Mullenweg announced that Chief Financial Officer Mark Davies had conspired with board members Ann Dunwoody, Toni Schneider, and Sue Decker to vote him out. Davies was subsequently voted in as interim CEO.

The decision follows a period of intense legal and public scrutiny for the company. Automattic, the parent company of WordPress.com, is currently embroiled in a high-profile lawsuit with competitor WP Engine. The dispute centers on allegations that WP Engine profited from the open-source WordPress project without contributing back, prompting Mullenweg to demand an 8% royalty fee.

WP Engine has countersued, alleging defamation and abuse of power. The board's action adds further instability to an already turbulent period for the company, which recently laid off 16% of its staff in April 2025. Despite the internal upheaval, Mary Hubbard, Executive Director of WordPress.org, confirmed that the open-source project remains unaffected and that Mullenweg remains its leader.