Automattic Confirmed that WordPress founder Matt Mullenweg has returned to his CEO position at the company. A week prior to this, the Automattic board of directors voted to have him step down and arranged for him to take paid leave, but the situation quickly reversed thereafter.

The board of directors shall vote first.

Initially, the company stated publicly that Mullenweg had entered a vacation period, and the Chief Financial Officer Mark Davies would serve as the interim CEO. This arrangement came after a board of directors vote, and at that time, the company said that the board was "fully confident" in this decision.

Internal communication was once in chaos.

TechCrunch cited multiple sources stating that Mullenweg did not withdraw as planned. He subsequently removed other administrators from the company Slack and told employees that he had regained control of the company. The report also mentioned that he referred to himself as "a pirate now" in internal messages, with an obviously aggressive tone.

The company's latest stance has shifted.

Later on Saturday, a spokesperson for Automattic communicated via email to TechCrunch that Mullenweg remains the company's chairman and CEO, stating that both the board of directors and some senior executives support him. The report also mentioned that Mullenweg reposted several posts supporting him on X, but the company did not provide further explanation for the change in the board's stance before and after.

Additional information:TechCrunch also mentioned that board member Toni Schneider may have resigned, but Automattic has not yet made any public statements regarding the changes in the board composition.