Matt Mullenweg has posted a connection to Automattic’s Slack, claiming he 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 only 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 still developing.
On Wednesday, the WordPress laminitis and a cardinal advocator for the unfastened root organization told his squad via Slack that Automattic’s committee members had “conspired” down his backmost by voting to put him connected a paid time off of absence. The company’s main financial officer, Mark Davies, was made interim CEO successful the process, Mullenweg said.
At the time, a spokesperson from Automattic confirmed to TechCrunch that Mullenweg was connected time off 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 dream overmuch of it was a misunderstanding, because I person immense respect and respect for those involved.
He besides posted a nexus to the YouTube video for LL Cool J’s “Mama 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 an overseas station astir being a “pirate” successful which he cursed. (Mullenweg famously does not curse). Given this situation, it’s difficult to cognize if he’s now trolling aliases if morganatic changes person been made.
After his astonishment removal arsenic CEO this week, Mullenweg’s nationalist and backstage societal media posts suggested he wasn’t done fighting the decision. On Reddit, he told those speculating what this meant for the unfastened root organization 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 first collapsed the news.
On X, Mullenweg besides posted that “Things are different than they appear,” and said he was successful request of sysadmins and information researchers to thief him move immoderate of his worldly hosted astatine Automattic elsewhere, moreover though he supported Davies arsenic CEO.
In some places, he suggested that Silver Lake, the PE patient that’s the mostly proprietor of the hosting institution WP Engine, which is presently embroiled successful a suit pinch Mullenweg and Automattic, was involved successful this scheme to “destroy” his life.
On Friday morning, Mullenweg posted connected X, “Boards are ne'er boring,” followed by a laughing/crying emoji.
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