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Matt Mullenweg tells Automattic staff in Slack he’s back in control after CEO ouster

ThinkingNews Desk · how this was written

Matt Mullenweg announced on Automattic’s Slack that he has been reinstated as chairman and chief executive after a brief paid-leave episode during which CFO Mark Davies was installed as interim CEO. The board confirmed his return with full support, ending the short-lived attempt to remove him from leadership.

Written from all 3 reports below, not from any single one.

How it was reported

  1. TechCrunch·
    Matt Mullenweg tells Automattic staff in Slack he’s back in control after CEO ouster

    Matt Mullenweg posted on Automattic’s Slack that the board has reinstated him as CEO, claiming control after being placed on paid leave and replaced by CFO Mark Davies. He shared a link to LL Cool J’s “Mama Said Knock You Out,” deactivated Davies’s Slack account, and removed all Slack admins, while stating he is “a pirate, not a troll.”

  2. The Verge·
    Matt Mullenweg reportedly returns as Automattic CEO two days after getting booted

    Matt Mullenweg announced via Slack that he has been reinstated as Automattic’s CEO after a two-day paid leave of absence. He claimed the board, influenced by CFO Mark Davies, voted to remove him and appoint Davies as interim CEO, though Mullenweg said he voted against the decision. An Automattic spokesperson confirmed Mullenweg remains a board member.

  3. TechMeme·
    Sources: in an internal Slack message Matt Mullenweg claims he is back in control of Automattic; on X, he says this may have been fifth coup attempt against him (Sarah Perez/TechCrunch)

    Twenty-five Fields Medalists issued a declaration warning that AI companies’ use of mathematical problem-solving as a benchmark harms the discipline of mathematics, citing recent discussions and linking to coverage in The Economist, TechCrunch, and Le Monde. The statement lists the signatories and the platforms where the debate is being shared, emphasizing the collective concern among leading mathematicians.

  4. TechCrunch·
    Automattic confirms Mullenweg has returned as CEO after attempted ouster by board

    Matt Mullenweg has resumed his role as chairman and CEO of Automattic after a board-initiated paid leave that was abruptly reversed. The board confirmed his return, with CFO Mark Davies stepping in as interim CEO during the dispute, and Mullenweg publicly stated his reinstatement on Slack and X. The incident followed a brief period of internal conflict and board member Toni Schneider’s resignation.

  5. TechMeme·
    Automattic confirms Matt Mullenweg has returned to his position as chairman and CEO "with full support of the board", after an attempted ouster this week (Sarah Perez/TechCrunch)

    Automattic announced that Matt Mullenweg has been reinstated as chairman and CEO with the board’s full support after a brief attempted ouster. Simultaneously, leading AI figures including Dario Amodei and Elon Musk urged a coordinated slowdown of advanced AI development, proposing independent evaluators and global governance mechanisms.

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