Matt Mullenweg says he has been reinstated as chief executive of Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com, Tumblr and Beeper, just two days after being placed on paid leave. The saga began when Mullenweg told staff that chief financial officer Mark Davies had "conspired" with the board to sideline him, with the board reportedly voting to install Davies as interim CEO while Mullenweg says he voted against his own removal. The episode points to a serious internal power struggle at the top of Automattic, one of the web's most influential companies, even as its outcome remains murky and unconfirmed by the company itself.

According to a Slack message seen by TechCrunch, Mullenweg said the board is now "back in agreement" and that he is "in control of Automattic," describing much of the dispute as a possible "misunderstanding." TechCrunch also reported that Davies' Slack account had been deactivated and that Mullenweg removed all admins from the company's Slack, while an Automattic spokesperson had earlier told The Verge that Mullenweg remained "on leave" and confirmed Davies' interim appointment. Mullenweg later posted on X that "if you don't have a coup attempt every few years, you're not hiring strong enough leaders," calling it his fifth such episode, and separately published a blog post about an unrelated offer to buy a houseboat. Automattic did not immediately respond to The Verge's request for comment.