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Automattic’s board forces CEO Matt Mullenweg into leave of absence

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1 hour ago

September 9, 2026

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Matt Mullenweg, the founder and CEO of Automattic, best known as the parent company of WordPress.com, has been put on a leave of absence by his board against his will, according to a Slack message seen by TechCrunch.

Earlier Wednesday, Mullenweg posted in a Slack channel visible to all employees that the company’s Chief Financial Officer, Mark Davies, had “conspired” with other board members Ann Dunwoody, Toni Schneider, and Sue Decker to vote to put Mullenweg on a paid leave of absence.

The message read:

And the biggest news: I won’t be able to make the [meeting] tomorrow. @Mark Davies has conspired with @Ann Dunwoody, @Toni, and @Sue Decker behind my back and they voted to put me on a paid leave of absence. I voted against that. Wishing Mark and all of you the very best.

To clarify @Mark Davies was voted as interim CEO. I received the resolution 50 minutes before the meeting start, and requested repeatedly for time to have it reviewed by independent legal counsel, even a few hours, which was denied.

A Slack message to the open-source WordPress.org community from the project’s executive director, Mary Hubbard, also confirmed Mullenweg’s change of status at the commercial company. However, Hubbard said that WordPress.org was not impacted. “Matt remains the leader of the WordPress project and I remain Executive Director of WordPress. Our teams, priorities, and work continue as planned,” she wrote.

Mullenweg’s Slack message did not make clear why Automattic’s board took this action. Sources told 404 Media, which was the first to report the news, that Schneider — the former CEO of Automattic from 2006 to 2014 — confirmed that the action was initiated by the board. Davies also told employees in the Slack channel that Mullenweg remained on the board of directors.

In an emailed statement to TechCrunch, Automattic confirmed Mullenweg was on leave.

“Matt Mullenweg is currently on leave from Automattic,” the email read. “Mark Davies, Automattic’s CFO, will lead the company as interim CEO. The Board has full confidence in Mark’s leadership and in the team’s ability to execute against the company’s priorities.”

Automattic, which owns other brands including Tumblr, WooCommerce, and Pocket Casts, was founded by Mullenweg in 2003 after he co-created the popular open-source content management system WordPress.

Over the past few years, Mullenweg and the company have been mired in lawsuits and controversy. The company is in a protracted legal battle with WP Engine, a WordPress web hosting competitor. The lawsuit followed allegations from Mullenweg that WP Engine was profiting from the open-source WordPress project without contributing back to the community, and he demanded it pay 8% of its monthly gross revenue as a royalty fee for using the WordPress brand.

WP Engine sued in October 2024, and accused Automattic and Mullenweg of defamation and abuse of power. Automattic filed counterclaims last year. In February, WP Engine claimed that Automattic intended to target 10 more competitors with royalty claims.

Tensions became so high under Mullenweg’s leadership that he told employees in 2024 to quit, with severance, if they disagreed with him and 159 did so.

Last year, Mullenweg also threatened to deactivate the accounts of several members of the open-source WordPress.org community, after two of them said they planned to spearhead a new forked version of the open source WordPress project.

In April 2025, the company laid off 16% of its staff. The cuts included some longtime employees who had been with the company for more than a decade, sources told TechCrunch.

Some alumni have been asking current employees how they feel about the news, a source told TechCrunch. Some employees said they were “ecstatic” or “relieved” but others had mixed emotions because the move creates more instability.

It isn’t clear why the company’s board made this decision now. One person speculated that the timing may have something to do with Mullenweg’s annual trip to the Burning Man festival, after which he tends to return “with ideas.” This year’s festival ended on September 7.

Mullenweg did not immediately respond to our request for comment.

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Related Topics:Absence Automattics board CEO forces Leave Matt Mullenweg

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NAICOM, NCAA Sign MoU to Strengthen Aviation Insurance Oversight in Nigeria

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Nigeria’s Junior Handball Team ‘Show Character’ To Defeat Guinea In African U20 Championship Quarter-finals Battle

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20 minutes ago

September 10, 2026

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Nigeria’s handball youth national team ‘showed character’ worthy of gold medals in their victory over Guinea on Wednesday at the African qualifiers and pick a slot to the 2027 IHF Men’s U21 World Championship.

Sports247 reports that coach of the side, David Emmanuel was excited with the efforts of his lads, as the victory also saw them pick a spot in the semi-finals of the 33rd Africa Men’s Junior Handball Championship.

Coach Emmanuel was beaming with delight in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, following his side’s 28-23 victory over the Guineans in Wednesday’s last-eight encounter and praised them for making their country proud.

He stated afterwards that the boys gave a very solid performance to secure the five-goal victory and they will in the semi-finals face Tunisia, who defeated Democratic Republic of Congo 36-20.

Though they have already confirmed their place at the 2027 IHF Men’s U21 Handball World Championship in North Macedonia, Emmanuel said his team will not relax just yet, as they aim to reach the final in Abidjan and win the ongoing championship.

He acknowledged further that their qualification for ther world championship is the fourth time Nigeria will get there, after 1981 in Portugal where they finished 14th, 1985 in Italy, finishing 16th, and 2019 placed 19th in Spain.

Emmanuel added that everyone in the team is pleased that they have achieved their first aim of qualifying for the world championship and assured that they will remain focused on winning the African qualifiers.

“We are happy with the victory and, most importantly, the qualification for the World Championship. The boys showed character and discipline against Guinea.

“Now we have to recover, study our next opponent, which is Tunisia, and prepare properly for the semi-final. We know it will be a difficult game, but we are ready for the challenge.

“We aim to win the Africa Nations Championship,” Emmanuel submitted, even as he went about patting each of hhis players on the back for their sterling efforts during Wednesday’s crunch encounter with Guinea.

Sports247 reports further that the Nigerian youngsters will hope to continue their impressive run in the semi-finals, as they seek a place in the final and win the trophy this weekend.

Business

NAICOM, NCAA Sign MoU to Strengthen Aviation Insurance Oversight in Nigeria

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1 hour ago

September 9, 2026

Preport

BY NKECHI NAECHE-ESÉZOBOR—The National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) and the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) establishing a Joint Technical Committee on Aviation Insurance, aimed at strengthening regulatory collaboration between the two agencies.

The agreement was formalized at a ceremony held at the NCAA headquarters in Abuja, with the Director General of the NCAA, Capt. Chris Najomo, describing it as a landmark moment for the sector.

Speaking at the event, the Commissioner for Insurance and Chief Executive Officer of the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM), Mr. Segun Omosehin, described the MoU as a strategic step toward strengthening Nigeria’s aviation insurance framework and supporting the country’s broader economic ambitions.

He said the agreement represents a significant milestone in deepening collaboration between the two regulators, whose mandates, though distinct, are mutually reinforcing.

“This occasion represents not only the strengthening of institutional cooperation, but also a clear affirmation of our shared regulatory commitment to the safety, integrity, and resilience of Nigeria’s aviation ecosystem,” the Commissioner said.

He noted that effective insurance protection in the aviation sector is not merely a regulatory formality but an essential risk management tool that safeguards lives, property, businesses, and the broader economy.

Under the MoU, NAICOM will continue to provide regulatory oversight and technical expertise on insurance matters, including verifying aviation insurance arrangements and providing information on insurers licensed to underwrite aviation risks.

The agreement also establishes a Joint Technical Committee, which the Commissioner described as the “engine room” for implementing the partnership’s objectives.

The committee will be responsible for facilitating information sharing, conducting periodic reviews of insurance requirements, addressing operational challenges, coordinating stakeholder engagement, and promoting capacity building across both institutions and industry participants.

The Commissioner assured NCAA management of NAICOM’s full commitment to the committee’s success, pledging the technical support and expertise needed for effective delivery of its mandate.

Linking the partnership to national economic goals, the Commissioner said strong insurance protection remains a key enabler of investment and growth as Nigeria pursues a $1 trillion economy by 2030 under the Renewed Hope Agenda. He added that a robust insurance framework promotes public confidence in air travel, supports business continuity, facilitates access to financing, and contributes to broader economic stability.

He further stressed that compulsory aviation liability insurance serves as an important safeguard for air travellers and other stakeholders, offering assurance that compensation will be available where legally due.

Responding,, the Director General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Captain Chris Ona Najomo, said the MoU reflects a long-standing working relationship between the two regulatory bodies and reinforces their joint commitment to aviation safety, financial resilience, regulatory compliance, and the protection of the travelling public and other industry stakeholders.

“Aviation remains a paradoxical industry that is globally recognised as the safest mode of transportation, yet characterised by high-impact operational risks,” Najomo said, noting that the NCAA’s safety mandate must be backed by a transparent and verifiable insurance framework.

He explained that NAICOM for several years, supported the NCAA by assessing the adequacy of insurance policies procured by aviation operators, in line with Part 18.14 of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations 2023. The newly signed MoU, he said, builds on that cooperation.

“This MoU we are signing today further deepens that cooperation, enhances stakeholder confidence, and supports cost-efficient operations while addressing challenges faced by Nigerian operators,” he stated.

According to Najomo, the goal of the partnership goes beyond regulatory enforcement. He said the aim is to create a balanced environment where aviation safety and financial protection reinforce one another, while promoting sustainable insurance practices and reducing avoidable regulatory bottlenecks — in alignment with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

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