WordPress co-founder Matt Mullenweg is reportedly attempting to retake control of Automattic through technical administrative channels, just days after the company’s board of directors voted to place him on a paid leave of absence.
The conflict escalated on Sept. 9, 2026, when the board voted to sideline Mullenweg and appoint Chief Financial Officer Mark Davies as interim CEO. However, by Sept. 11, Mullenweg allegedly began using his administrative privileges to deactivate Davies’ Slack account and remove other workspace administrators.
Technical Retaliation and Board Conflict
According to reported claims from Mullenweg, he was given only 50 minutes of notice before the meeting where the board voted for his leave of absence. The internal strife follows a period of significant external pressure, including a June 2026 filing by investor BlackRock that marked down the value of its Automattic shares by 83 percent compared to their 2021 entry price.
While the board technically holds the authority to appoint a CEO, Mullenweg appears to be leveraging his role as a systems administrator to challenge the hierarchy in real-time. According to reporting from 404 Media, the deactivation of the interim CEO’s credentials and the removal of other Slack admins has created a state of administrative standoff within the company’s digital workspace.
Infrastructure Control and Legal Context
Crucially, the board’s attempt to remove Mullenweg from Automattic did not affect his control over the broader WordPress ecosystem. Mullenweg personally maintains ownership of WordPress.org and leadership of the WordPress Foundation, the entities that manage the open-source software powering roughly 40 percent of the web. This dual role has allowed him to maintain a position of power in the software’s development and distribution regardless of his standing at the commercial entity, Automattic.
The uncertainty at the top of Automattic comes at a critical time for the company as it navigates the fallout from the massive valuation markdown earlier this year.
As of Sept. 11, the status of the company’s executive leadership remains in a state of flux. The deactivation of the interim CEO’s access suggests a “digital coup” atmosphere where technical control is being used to bypass official corporate governance.
