Automattic’s Entire Board Ousted After Failed Bid to Sideline CEO Matt Mullenweg

This week, Automattic—the firm that runs WordPress.com along with a range of publishing utilities—found itself in a leadership upheaval after its whole board was said to be ousted due to an unsuccessful attempt to put CEO Matt Mullenweg on administrative leave.

According to sources briefed to TechCrunch, the directors gathered for an emergency session earlier in the week and voted to suspend Mullenweg while an internal probe was conducted. The action provoked swift pushback from senior executives and a group of investors who contended the measure was unjustified and jeopardized the company’s stability.

Within a few days, senior leadership moved to reverse the board’s ruling, thereby canceling the suspension and removing the sitting directors. This swift turnaround indicates that major shareholders—among them venture capitalists that have supported Automattic from its inception—stood up for Mullenweg, pointing to his guidance through numerous product roll‑outs and the recent NYSE debut.

The incident underscores a wider clash in technology circles between activist board actions and founder‑driven governance. Valued at more than $10 billion, Automattic has long functioned under a decentralized framework granting product groups significant independence. Detractors of the board’s maneuver warn that trying to marginalize a founder possessing extensive technical skill and a recognizable brand could unsettle the firm’s culture and its extensive network of developers and publishers.

Going forward, Automattic is likely to install a fresh board aligned with the wishes of its principal investors while maintaining the entrepreneurial spirit that has fueled its expansion. Analysts observe that the saga could trigger a reassessment of the firm’s governance charter and potentially raise voting thresholds for future leadership moves. At present, Mullenweg stays in charge, and the company has affirmed that its product roadmap will proceed without interruption, assuring customers and partners that the internal conflict will not affect everyday operations.