The corporate landscape at Automattic has undergone a dizzying turnaround this week, as WordPress co-founder Matt Mullenweg has returned to the helm of the company following a brief and highly publicized ouster. The restoration of his authority, however, has left observers puzzled by a series of unconventional official communications that have sparked speculation about how the company is currently being managed.
## A Turbulent Week for Automattic
The instability began on Wednesday, September 9, when the Automattic Board of Directors took the sudden step of placing Mullenweg on administrative leave. During a meeting held with only 50 minutes of notice, Mullenweg’s request for legal counsel was reportedly denied. The company quickly appointed CFO Mark Davies as interim CEO, releasing a concise, formal statement expressing the board’s full confidence in the transition.
For 48 hours, the company appeared to be under new leadership. However, the situation devolved into confusion by Friday, September 11. Despite his suspension, Mullenweg retained access to the company’s internal Slack workspace. He utilized this access to remove existing administrators and broadcast a message to staff claiming he was back in charge. While reports initially suggested this might be a rogue digital action, the narrative shifted rapidly as several key figures within the WordPress ecosystem, including Executive Director Mary Hubbard, voiced public support for his reinstatement.
## The Unusual Nature of the Reinstatement
The shift from Mullenweg’s removal to his apparent resumption of power was solidified by a second official statement issued by Automattic on Saturday, September 12. The announcement declared that Mullenweg had resumed his roles as Chairman and CEO with the full backing of the board.
Industry analysts and communication experts have since flagged the peculiar tone of this second message. Unlike the initial, professionally vetted corporate announcement, the Saturday statement read: “Matt Mullenweg is the chairman and CEO of Automattic, with full support of the board and if you search online you can see many top executives and Automatticians supporting him as well.”
The stylistic departure—moving from a standard corporate declaration to a defensive, run-on sentence that directs readers to conduct their own social media research—has led to widespread speculation that the text was authored or dictated by Mullenweg himself rather than the communications department. This unconventional approach has prompted questions about the internal governance and the current standard of operations at the web publishing giant.
## Support and Future Uncertainty
In the wake of the announcement, a wave of social media activity flooded platforms like X (formerly Twitter). Numerous Automattic employees, known as “Automatticians,” posted supportive messages emphasizing their loyalty to the founder and their optimism for the company’s future. Mullenweg personally amplified these testimonials, curating a stream of positive feedback that effectively eclipsed the narrative surrounding his initial dismissal.
While the immediate crisis appears to have subsided, the episode leaves lingering questions regarding the stability of Automattic’s board structure and the company’s communication policies. As one of the primary drivers behind the WordPress project, which powers a massive portion of the internet, any internal friction at Automattic carries significant implications for the broader tech industry.
For now, Mullenweg remains at the center of the organization, having successfully leveraged internal digital channels and grassroots support to reverse a board-mandated decision. Whether this marks the end of the conflict or merely a pause in a larger power struggle remains to be seen. As the dust settles, the tech community continues to monitor whether the company’s official messaging returns to a more traditional, professional standard or if this shift reflects a new, more personal era of management for the WordPress pioneer.
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