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Automattic's Board Votes Matt Mullenweg Onto Paid Leave Against His Wishes, CFO Made Interim CEO
TechCrunch reported on September 9, 2026 that Automattic's board voted to place founder and CEO Matt Mullenweg on paid leave over his objection, installing CFO Mark Davies as interim CEO. The vote was led by Davies with board members Ann Dunwoody, Toni Schneider and Sue Decker. In a company Slack message Mullenweg said the board 'conspired' against him, that he received the resolution 50 minutes before the meeting, and that his request for time for independent legal review was denied. No reason was stated. Context is the WP Engine litigation running since October 2024 over Mullenweg's demand for 8% of monthly revenue as a WordPress brand royalty. Corroborated by 404 Media.
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