Matt Mullenweg, founder of Automattic, has returned to his position as CEO after a brief paid leave of absence. The leave was initiated following a board decision that reportedly involved CFO Mark Davies and internal disagreements. Mullenweg had opposed the board's vote to place him on leave and claimed Davies conspired with the board. During the leave, Davies was named interim CEO. However, Mullenweg announced via internal communications that the board had reconciled and he was back in control of the company. Reports indicate that Davies’ Slack account was deactivated and all other admins were removed from Automattic’s Slack workspace. WordPress Executive Director Mary Hubbard confirmed Mullenweg’s return publicly. Automattic, known for platforms such as WordPress.com, Tumblr, and Beeper, has not issued an official statement beyond these confirmations. Mullenweg commented on X (formerly Twitter) that leadership challenges like this are not uncommon, suggesting this was his fifth such experience. The episode highlights the complexities of leadership dynamics within high-profile tech companies and the potential impact on organizational stability.