Sources say Automattic’s board is out after failed attempt to oust CEO Matt Mullenweg

Automattic’s committee is out, aggregate sources person confirmed to TechCrunch, aft past week’s attempt to oust CEO Matt Mullenweg by voting to enactment him connected a paid permission of absence.

After the vote, Mullenweg, the WordPress laminitis and CEO of WordPress.com genitor institution Automattic, accused the committee of conspiring against him successful a station connected Automattic’s Slack. On Friday, TechCrunch exclusively reported Mullenweg told the company’s unit that helium was backmost successful control of the company, besides via Slack post. Automattic confirmed to TechCrunch connected Saturday that helium had returned.

Initially, we heard from sources that Toni Schneider, a founding CEO astatine Automattic who present leads the unfastened societal web Bluesky, had resigned his Automattic committee seat. Schneider has since removed a paragraph from his bio leafage connected his idiosyncratic website which had noted his contributions astatine Automattic.

Previously, Schneider’s website read: “I besides lend actively at Automattic, the unfastened root institution down WordPress.com and WooCommerce. I was Automattic’s founding CEO and proceed to enactment interior projects and investments arsenic a committee subordinate and peculiar advisor.”

We’ve besides heard that Mullenweg removed the 2 different committee members, Sue Decker and Gen. Ann Dunwoody.

Decker’s LinkedIn bio has been updated to corroborate that she served connected Automattic’s committee from March 2020 done September 2026, contempt her sanction inactive appearing connected Automattic’s Board of Directors leafage astatine the clip of publication.

Image Credits:LinkedIn screenshot

When asked by TechCrunch astir the committee changes, Automattic declined to supply specifics, but offered a connection acknowledging that radical person left.

Via an email that arrived aft midnight PT connected Sunday, an Automattic spokesperson shared the following:

“Matt and Automattic’s enactment squad person large respect for everyone involved. While we can’t remark connected circumstantial individuals, we’re thankful for their contributions to Automattic and its mission, and we stay excited astir what’s up with Matt astatine the helm. Matt was distant for lone 33 hours and 20 minutes—we’re present backmost to work,” the spokesperson said.

Given that these departed committee members were those who voted to enactment Mullenweg connected a paid permission of lack to statesman with, it makes consciousness that a committee shakeup has taken place. It besides explains however Mullenweg’s instrumentality to his presumption arsenic CEO would person the “full enactment of the board,” arsenic a statement issued connected Saturday indicated.

TechCrunch is proceeding from sources Automattic whitethorn marque an interior announcement astir the caller committee sometime connected Monday.

What prompted the board’s ballot inactive remains unclear. Mullenweg and Automattic are progressive in a high-profile lawsuit with a WordPress hosting company, WP Engine. Mullenweg has accused the institution of infringing connected the WordPress trademark and not sufficiently contributing successful presumption of engineering hours oregon wealth to the unfastened root WordPress effort. Earlier this year, WP Engine claimed successful a tribunal filing that Automattic planned to people different competitors with royalty fees.

More recently, it has accused Mullenweg of allegedly destroying evidence related to the lawsuit successful apps similar WhatsApp, Signal, and Telegram. Last year, Mullenweg had deactivated the accounts of respective WordPress contributors implicit alleged plans to fork the unfastened root software.

Do you person much information? You tin scope Sarah Perez astatine sarahp@techcrunch.com oregon @sarahperez.01 connected Signal.