Automattic CEO Replaces Board After Internal Dispute

Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg has replaced the company's board of directors after board members voted to place him on paid leave. The situation was resolved quickly, with Mullenweg returning to his leadership role and subsequently replacing the entire board.

The new board includes two co-founders of the now-defunct social media platform IRL, which was previously valued at over $1 billion. Two authors have also been appointed to the board. The disruption began when the board, along with the company's CFO, voted to put Mullenweg on leave.

Mullenweg alleged in an internal message that the board had conspired against him. However, approximately 33 hours later, the situation had reversed, and Mullenweg regained full control. Company CFO Mark Davies and chief legal officer Andy Missan are no longer with Automattic.

Additionally, several former board members, including Automattic co-founder and current Bluesky CEO Toni Schneider, and Raftr founder and CEO Sue Decker, have reportedly resigned from their positions, according to confirmations obtained by TechCrunch. Retired U.S. Army Gen. Ann Dunwoody has also been removed from the board.