Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg Installs New Board After Defeating Ouster Attempt
Mullenweg regained control in 33 hours and 20 minutes using his 84% voting share after the former board placed him on paid leave. The new board includes authors Hugh Howey and Amy Chan, plus former IRL co-founders Henry Khatchatryan and Krutal Desai.
Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg has assembled a new board of directors in September 2026, weeks after the company’s previous board tried and failed to remove him from power. The new lineup was announced to staff via Automattic’s Slack announcements channel on Friday.
The governance crisis began earlier in September when Automattic’s former board voted to place Mullenweg on paid leave in what he described on X as a “coup attempt.” Mullenweg retook control of the company just 33 hours and 20 minutes later, leveraging his 84% voting share to remove or accept the resignations of the directors involved. The board never publicly disclosed its reasons for attempting to oust him.
In the aftermath, several senior figures departed. Board member Toni Schneider — a founding CEO of Automattic and now CEO of Bluesky — resigned. Mullenweg removed Gen. Ann Dunwoody from the board, and member Sue Decker also resigned. CFO Mark Davies, who had been slated to become interim CEO, and Chief Legal Officer Andy Mislan were also let go.
The new board is an eclectic group. It includes Hugh Howey, author of the “Silo” science fiction series; Amy Chan, author of “Breakup Bootcamp”; and Henry Khatchatryan and Krutal Desai, co-founders of the now-defunct social app IRL. IRL shut down after investigations found that nearly all of its user base consisted of bots, and its co-founders later sued SoftBank and other investors after SoftBank had sued for securities fraud.
Several new advisers have also joined, including Curio Studio co-founder Jaime Waydo, June co-founder Matt Van Horn, and KISSmetrics co-founder Hiten Shah.
In his message to staff, Mullenweg noted that “for purposes of Delaware law, I am the CEO, President, Treasurer, and Secretary.” He also replaced Automattic’s legal counsel following his return — a move that may be significant given the company’s ongoing trademark lawsuit with WordPress hosting provider WP Engine. Court filings show WP Engine’s legal team accused Mullenweg in July 2026 of destroying evidence.
Automattic is the parent company of WordPress.com, Tumblr, and WooCommerce, among others.