Mullenweg Announces He's Back in Control at Automattic: Reinstated Days After Suspension, Power Struggle Still Unclear

A Sudden Power Reversal

Automattic, the parent company of WordPress, has been rocked by a high-level power struggle. According to an internal Slack message obtained by TechCrunch, company co-founder Matt Mullenweg announced to all employees that he has retaken control of the company — just days after the Automattic board had placed him on a suspension leave.

The dramatic reversal happened with striking speed. From being "suspended" by the board to personally announcing "I'm back" through internal channels, the whole episode took only a matter of days. As of this writing, Automattic has not issued any official statement confirming this apparent shift in control, leaving the entire situation shrouded in uncertainty.

Matt Mullenweg: The Central Figure of the WordPress Empire

Matt Mullenweg is not only Automattic's co-founder and CEO, but also one of the core creators of the open-source content management system WordPress. WordPress currently powers more than 40% of websites worldwide, and Automattic is the company that has built a commercial empire around this open-source ecosystem, with a portfolio that includes WordPress.com, WooCommerce, Tumblr, and more.

As a figure with enormous standing in the open-source community, Mullenweg has long left a deep personal imprint on the company's direction and decision-making. That's precisely why the board's decision to "suspend" him was so unusual in the first place — and why his ability to announce a return to control in such a short time reflects the unique position he holds within Automattic's governance structure.

What Happened Between the Suspension and the Reinstatement?

It's worth noting that nearly all information about this incident has come from leaked internal Slack messages rather than official announcements. This means the outside world still knows very little about why the board made the suspension decision, or how Mullenweg managed to "reclaim control" so quickly.

Generally speaking, a board suspending a company's founder tends to involve major governance disagreements, financial disputes, or conflicts over strategic direction. Such a rapid reversal could suggest:

• A split within the board itself, with some members not supporting the suspension
• Mullenweg leveraging his equity stake or control rights to reestablish his dominant position
• The two sides reaching some form of compromise in a very short window

The Deeper Issues Behind the Governance Crisis

This episode is not an isolated incident. For over a year, Mullenweg and Automattic have been at the center of public controversy. His earlier public conflict with hosting provider WP Engine, along with a series of disputes over WordPress trademark usage and open-source community contributions, had already sparked widespread debate about his leadership style and the company's governance.

For a company that stewards such a vast open-source ecosystem, the tension between a founder's personal authority and the company's governing body is especially sensitive. Automattic must simultaneously protect its commercial interests and fulfill its public responsibilities to the WordPress open-source community — a balance that has always been delicate. When a founder's personal will collides with the board's collective decisions, the outcome affects not just one company's fate, but potentially the stability of the entire WordPress open-source ecosystem.

The Speculation Fueled by Official Silence

Automattic's continued silence on this "reinstatement" is itself telling. It may indicate that the company has yet to reach an internal consensus, or that relevant parties are still negotiating and jockeying for position. Until an official statement is issued, any conclusions about the final outcome of this situation are premature.

For the millions of developers, site operators, and businesses that depend on the WordPress ecosystem, Automattic's governance stability is a matter of direct concern. A leadership defined by internal conflict and uncertainty would cast a long shadow over the entire ecosystem.

Key Questions to Watch

This power struggle is far from over, and several critical questions remain unanswered:

1. The root of the conflict: What exactly drove the dispute between the board and Mullenweg?
2. Confirmation of control: Has his claimed "retaking of control" been formally recognized by the board?
3. Governance restructuring: How will Automattic's corporate governance structure change going forward?
4. Ecosystem impact: What ripple effects will this internal conflict have on the WordPress open-source community and the businesses that rely on it?

Until the company provides clear answers, the outside world can only piece together what happened from scattered internal leaks. But one thing is certain: as one of the world's most important open-source software companies, Automattic's governance crisis deserves continued attention. This is not merely an internal corporate matter — it is a defining case study of how founder authority, corporate governance, and community responsibility can coexist in the era of open-source commercialization.