By TechCrunch Reporting Staff
Published September 2026
Main Facts
In one of the most bizarre and high-stakes executive dramas in modern tech history, Matt Mullenweg—the co-creator of WordPress and the longtime face of Automattic—is officially back as the company’s chairman and CEO. This resolution follows a chaotic, tumultuous week that saw the WordPress.com parent company experience a boardroom coup, a sudden suspension, a digital mutiny within internal corporate messaging channels, and a flurry of cryptic social media posts involving pirate metaphors and houseboat purchases.
Just days after Automattic’s board of directors voted to force Mullenweg onto a paid leave of absence, the company executed an abrupt about-face. On Saturday evening, an official corporate spokesperson confirmed that Mullenweg retains the "full support of the board" and remains firmly at the helm.
The reversal brings a temporary halt to an unprecedented corporate showdown that pitted a charismatic founder against his own board of directors. During the brief window of his removal, Chief Financial Officer Mark Davies was installed as interim CEO. However, rather than quietly stepping aside, Mullenweg dug in his heels. He utilized his administrative powers to lock other users out of company channels, declared himself "a pirate," and rallied internal and external supporters before ultimately forcing the board to reverse its decision.
Yet, as the dust begins to settle on Automattic’s headquarters, lingering questions remain regarding board composition, the fate of key executives—including Bluesky CEO and Automattic board member Toni Schneider—and the long-term stability of an open-source giant that powers a massive fraction of the global web.
Chronology of a Corporate Coup
To understand how Automattic plunged into chaos, one must trace the timeline of events that unfolded over a frantic seven-day period in September 2026.
Early Week: The Ouster and the "Conspiracy"
The crisis erupted when Automattic’s board of directors voted to place Mullenweg on a paid leave of absence. The board maintained strict silence regarding the precise catalysts behind the decision, leaving industry observers and employees entirely in the dark.
The move caught Mullenweg completely off guard. Reacting swiftly via Automattic’s internal Slack workspace, the founder did not mince words. He openly accused members of the board of "conspiring" against him, framing the vote as an illegitimate power grab rather than a standard corporate intervention.
By Wednesday, Automattic formally confirmed the leadership shakeup to media outlets. The company stated that Mullenweg was "currently on leave" and announced that CFO Mark Davies would step in as interim CEO, backed by what the board described as "full confidence."
Mid-Week: The Slack Mutiny and the "Pirate" Era
While corporate boards typically expect ousted chief executives to hand over keys and depart quietly, Mullenweg chose a radically different playbook. Rather than vacating the premises, he reportedly took direct action within the company’s digital infrastructure.
Sources close to the company revealed that Mullenweg used his administrative privileges to strip other admins of their powers within Automattic’s Slack workspace. He then broadcasted messages to employees insisting that the situation had been resolved and that he was back in control.
The tone of these communications shocked insiders. Diverting sharply from his usual measured public persona, Mullenweg embraced an eccentric, swashbuckling alter ego. At one point, he posted messages declaring, "I’m a pirate now," and dropped profanities—behavior completely out of character for the executive. In another surreal message, he quipped, "If this is an HR problem, please wrangle me in since my normal wranglers are with Mark Davies."
When pressed by reporters about whether his declarations of authority were legitimate, Mullenweg teased an imminent blog post. True to form, when the post finally dropped, it had nothing to do with the corporate coup; instead, it detailed his recent purchase of a houseboat. When asked directly if he was simply trolling the press, Mullenweg doubled down on his new persona: "I’m not a troll, I’m a pirate, obviously."
Late Week: Silence, Resignation Rumors, and the Reversal
As the week drew to a close, Automattic’s communication strategy fractured. The company’s press office stopped responding to inquiries on Friday, completely ghosting reporters attempting to verify escalating rumors that board member Toni Schneider had resigned.
Throughout the ordeal, Mullenweg maintained a defiant public posture. Rather than issuing a formal press release or compliance statement, he took to X (formerly Twitter), where he reposted supportive messages from colleagues and noted that this was likely the fifth time he had faced a "coup" throughout his career.
By late Saturday afternoon, the board’s resistance completely crumbled. Automattic issued an unequivocal statement to the press confirming that the founder was back in the driver’s seat, bringing an end to the week-long mutiny.
Supporting Data & Context
To grasp the magnitude of this boardroom battle, one must look at the immense ecosystem that Automattic controls.
- The Scale of Automattic: Founded in 2005 by Matt Mullenweg, Automattic is the commercial powerhouse behind WordPress.com, WooCommerce, Tumblr, and Jetpack. It plays an indispensable role in maintaining WordPress, the open-source content management system that powers over 40% of all websites on the internet.
- Frequency of Upheaval: Mullenweg’s off-the-cuff remark on X that he has survived roughly five "coups" highlights the volatile, high-stakes nature of running a company that straddles the line between corporate enterprise and the open-source software community.
- The Boardroom Dynamic: The presence of veteran tech figures on Automattic’s board—such as Toni Schneider, the former Automattic CEO who now helms Bluesky—underscores the deep ideological and strategic networks connecting Silicon Valley’s foundational web infrastructure companies. Reports of Schneider’s potential departure, while still officially unconfirmed by press time, suggest that the board reshuffling may extend far beyond Mullenweg’s temporary suspension.
Official Responses
The communications strategy deployed by both Automattic and Mullenweg during the crisis reflect a company under extreme internal strain.
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Automattic Corporate Spokesperson (Saturday Evening):
"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."
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Automattic Board (Mid-Week Statement regarding Mark Davies):
Initially expressing "full confidence" in CFO Mark Davies as interim CEO, the board attempted to frame the transition as a stable, orderly step forward—an narrative that quickly unraveled as Mullenweg locked down internal communications channels. -
Matt Mullenweg (Via X and Slack):
Mullenweg bypassed traditional public relations channels entirely, choosing instead to communicate in code, pirate slang, and direct proclamations of control. His refusal to provide a standard corporate statement—opting instead to write about purchasing a houseboat—demonstrated a calculated effort to project calm, nonchalant indifference in the face of executive removal.
Implications: What This Means for WordPress and Automattic
While Mullenweg has successfully beaten back this latest challenge to his authority, the fallout from the failed coup will likely echo through the WordPress community and the tech industry for months to come.
1. Questions Regarding Board Governance
The episode lays bare a tense friction point between tech founders and venture-backed or independent boards of directors. When a board attempts to oust a charismatic, controlling founder—especially one deeply intertwined with the identity of the product—they run the risk of a swift internal insurgency. Automattic’s board failed to execute a clean transition, exposing deep internal fractures and raising questions about whether the board retains actual oversight or if Mullenweg’s personal control over the company’s culture and communication channels is absolute.
2. Uncertainty Over Leadership Composition
With reports swirling regarding Toni Schneider’s alleged exit, the composition of Automattic’s board remains deeply fluid. A board revolt that fails often results in the exit of the dissenting directors rather than the CEO. Observers will be closely watching for upcoming corporate filings or announcements to see who remains on the board and who has been shown the door.
3. Open-Source Stability and Brand Image
WordPress is a foundational pillar of the modern internet. Any instability at its parent company sends jitterwaves through the developer community, web agencies, and enterprise clients who rely on WordPress and WooCommerce for their livelihoods. While Mullenweg’s "pirate" antics and houseboat blog posts may have provided a darkly entertaining spectacle for tech spectators online, corporate clients generally prefer predictable, transparent governance.
Ultimately, Matt Mullenweg has proven once again that he is nearly impossible to unseat from the empire he built. However, as the smoke clears over Automattic’s headquarters, the board, the employees, and the broader web ecosystem are left to reckon with a bruised corporate culture and an uncertain path forward.
rifanmuazin
Nana Muazin
