Hustler Words – Reports indicate that Matt Mullenweg, the visionary behind Automattic, has asserted his return to leadership, claiming he is once again in control of the company that parents WordPress.com. This dramatic declaration, delivered via a Slack message to Automattic staff, comes merely days after the board reportedly voted to remove him as CEO for undisclosed reasons. The internal communication, a screenshot of which was reviewed by Hustler Words and corroborated by multiple employee sources, has plunged the company into a state of intense speculation and uncertainty.
The sudden turn of events follows a tumultuous week for Automattic. Earlier, on Wednesday, the influential WordPress founder and a staunch advocate for the open-source community, informed his team via Slack that the company’s board members had "conspired" to place him on a paid leave of absence. During this period, Chief Financial Officer Mark Davies was appointed as interim CEO, a move that was confirmed at the time by an Automattic spokesperson to Hustler Words.
However, the narrative took a sharp twist early Friday morning. Mullenweg shared a new message on Automattic’s internal communication platform, stating: "(Don’t call it a comeback…) Howdy everybody! Happy to announce the board is back in agreement, and I’m in control of Automattic. A lot happened in the past 48 hours that we need to sort out, and I hope much of it was a misunderstanding, because I have huge respect and regard for those involved." He accompanied this message with a link to LL Cool J’s iconic track, "Mama Said Knock You Out," further fueling the intrigue.
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Despite Mullenweg’s bold announcement, official confirmation from Automattic’s board remains elusive. Adding to the confusion, sources within the company noted that Mark Davies’ Slack account has been deactivated. Furthermore, Hustler Words learned yesterday that Mullenweg had reportedly removed all other Slack administrators from the Automattic workspace and posted an unusual, expletive-laden message referring to himself as a "pirate" – a stark departure from his typically measured public persona. When directly questioned by Hustler Words if he was merely trolling, Mullenweg cryptically responded, "I’m not a troll I’m a pirate, obviously."
This latest development follows a series of defiant public and private posts by Mullenweg in the wake of his initial removal. On Reddit, he dismissed speculation about the implications for the open-source community, asserting, "Hey y’all. I’m here, just fine," before challenging critics. On X (formerly Twitter), he posted that "Things are different than they appear" and even solicited assistance from sysadmins and security researchers to migrate some of his data from Automattic, despite ostensibly supporting Davies as CEO.
Mullenweg’s social media activity also included serious allegations, suggesting that Silver Lake, the private equity firm with a majority stake in WP Engine (a hosting company currently embroiled in a lawsuit with Mullenweg and Automattic), was involved in a scheme to "destroy" his life. His Friday morning X post, "Boards are never boring," accompanied by a laughing-crying emoji, perfectly encapsulates the bewildering situation.
Curiously, when asked for comment by Hustler Words regarding the unfolding drama, Mullenweg hinted at an imminent blog post, which subsequently materialized as an unrelated announcement about a houseboat purchase, offering no direct clarity on the leadership crisis.
The situation at Automattic remains fluid and unconfirmed, leaving employees and the wider tech community to ponder whether this is a genuine reinstatement, a sophisticated act of defiance, or an elaborate troll by the company’s founder. The stakes are high for the future direction of one of the internet’s most foundational platforms.
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