Ethan Carter
In a dramatic turn of events described by Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg as a “coup,” the leadership dynamics at the parent company of WordPress.com, Tumblr, and WooCommerce have undergone a significant overhaul. According to a report from TechCrunch, Mullenweg has successfully removed members of the board who attempted to oust him.
On September 9, TechCrunch revealed that Automattic’s board had voted to place Mullenweg on leave. within approximately 33 hours, Mullenweg regained control, expelling rival administrators from the company’s Slack workspace. The board’s composition was reported to be “in flux,” with Automattic’s founding CEO and current Bluesky CEO, Toni Schneider, among those confirmed to have departed. A follow-up report from TechCrunch indicates that two additional board members, as well as Automattic’s chief financial officer Mark Davies and chief legal officer Andy Missan, have either been removed or resigned. Mullenweg has also appointed new legal counsel and introduced a fresh lineup of board members and advisers.
Sources have informed TechCrunch that the restructured board now features notable figures such as Silo franchise author Hugh Howey, Breakup Bootcamp author Amy Chan, and the co-founders of IRL, Henry Khachatryan and Krutal Desai. The newly appointed advisers include executives and co-founders from companies like Whoop, June, and KISSmetrics.
As a co-founder of WordPress, Mullenweg currently leads Automattic, which competes directly with WP Engine in the WordPress hosting market. The two companies are embroiled in a prolonged and contentious legal dispute regarding trademark issues, with Mullenweg labeling WP Engine a “cancer” that damages the WordPress community during his 2024 campaign. WP Engine has accused Mullenweg of threatening “war” on “scorched earth nuclear” terms, insisting that the company must sign a trademark licensing agreement with Automattic.
In July 2026, WP Engine filed a motion for sanctions in the ongoing lawsuit, claiming that Mullenweg had destroyed key evidence. This motion included a heavily redacted section concluding with the statement, “… during which Mr. Mullenweg’s disappearing or deleted messages were lost forever.” The filing asserted that Automattic maintained that all discovery materials had been located and provided.
The relationship between the board upheaval and the ongoing litigation remains unclear. Mullenweg has indicated that this is not the first instance where he has faced challenges from within the corporate structure.
In an email to staff, Mullenweg asserted, “For purposes of Delaware law, I am the CEO, President, Treasurer, and Secretary.” He described the recent board meeting as “the most interesting in a decade,” drawing a parallel to the acquisition of WooCommerce in 2015.
“We are living through times of unprecedented change, possibly a singularity,” Mullenweg stated to TechCrunch. “The next six months will determine the next 20 years of Automattic.”
Automattic has yet to respond to Gizmodo’s request for comments, but we will update this article with any new information.
Daniel Mercer
Brandon Fletcher
