Automattic’s board forces CEO Matt Mullenweg into leave of absence

Automattic’s board voted to place founder-CEO Matt Mullenweg on a paid leave of absence, appointing CFO Mark Davies as interim CEO; Mullenweg’s Slack post said the vote was made without his consent and that he was denied legal review time. The change does not affect the WordPress.org project, which remains under Mullenweg’s leadership, while Automattic continues to face ongoing litigation with WP Engine and recent staff reductions.