Matt Mullenweg tells Automattic staff in Slack he’s back in control after CEO ouster

Matt Mullenweg has posted a connection to Automattic’s Slack, claiming helium is backmost successful power arsenic CEO of the WordPress.com genitor company, according to a screenshot of the connection seen by TechCrunch, which was confirmed by 2 sources. The station arrives lone days aft Automattic’s committee voted to oust Mullenweg arsenic CEO for chartless reasons.

Automattic has been asked to corroborate if Mullenweg’s connection is true, but has not yet responded to a petition for comment. Mullenweg responded to our inquiry, saying a blog station is forthcoming. This communicative is inactive developing.

On Wednesday, the WordPress laminitis and a cardinal advocator for the unfastened root assemblage told his squad via Slack that Automattic’s committee members had “conspired” down his backmost by voting to enactment him connected a paid permission of absence. The company’s main fiscal officer, Mark Davies, was made interim CEO successful the process, helium said.

A spokesperson from Automattic confirmed to TechCrunch that Mullenweg was connected permission and Davies was interim CEO.

Early Friday morning, Mullenweg shared the pursuing caller connection connected Automattic’s Slack:

“(Don’t telephone it a comeback…) Howdy everybody! Happy to denote the committee is backmost successful agreement, and I’m successful power of Automattic. A batch happened successful the past 48 hours that we request to benignant out, and I anticipation overmuch of it was a misunderstanding, due to the fact that I person immense respect and respect for those involved.”

He besides posted a nexus to the YouTube video for LL Cool J’s “Make Said Knock You Out.”

As of yet, nary 1 astatine Automattic has heard a confirmation from the board. Mark Davies’ Slack relationship was besides deactivated, sources said.

However, TechCrunch heard yesterday that Mullenweg had removed each Slack admins from the Automattic Slack and made a bizarre station astir being a “pirate” successful which helium cursed. (Mullenweg famously does not curse). Given this situation, it’s hard to cognize if he’s present trolling oregon if morganatic changes person been made.

After his astonishment removal arsenic CEO this week, Mullenweg’s nationalist and backstage societal media posts suggested helium wasn’t done warring the decision. On Reddit, helium told those speculating what this meant for the unfastened root assemblage that they didn’t cognize what they were talking astir aft initially replying, “Hey y’all. I’m here, conscionable fine,” to a Reddit station linking to the 404 Media article that archetypal broke the news.

On X, Mullenweg besides posted that “Things are antithetic than they appear,” and said helium was successful request of sysadmins and information researchers to assistance him determination immoderate of his worldly hosted astatine Automattic elsewhere, adjacent though helium supported Davies arsenic CEO.

In some places, helium suggested that Silver Lake, the PE steadfast that’s the bulk proprietor of the hosting institution WP Engine, which is presently embroiled successful a suit with Mullenweg and Automattic, was involved successful this program to “destroy” his life.

On Friday morning, Mullenweg posted connected X, “Boards are ne'er boring,” followed by a laughing/crying emoji.