Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg has restructured the company’s board just weeks after its last directors attempted, and failed, to remove him. The board, which was revealed to employees on Friday, is a diverse assembly that features a prominent science-fiction writer and two co-founders of the now-defunct social application IRL, according to TechCrunch sources, which Mullenweg has verified.

The new board marks a recent development in an internal governance dispute at Automattic, the parent organization of WordPress.com, Tumblr, WooCommerce, and others. Earlier this month, the former board opted to place Mullenweg on leave in an effort to oust him, only for the CEO to regain control just 33 hours later and dismiss or accept the resignations of the directors involved.

This week, Mullenweg mentioned a board meeting on social media but did not disclose who attended. He is now officially updating Automattic staff about the board revisions through the company’s Slack announcements channel.

TechCrunch learned that the newly formed Automattic board comprises:

• American author Hugh Howey, known for the “Silo” book series. (Mullenweg and Howey both trekked the Camino de Santiago in Spain in 2018.)
• Amy Chan, author of “Breakup Bootcamp” (who recently shared Mullenweg’s tweet regarding the company’s AI site builder, Spacefast).
• IRL co-founder Henry Khachatryan, whom Mullenweg characterized as a “founder and builder,” a longstanding collaborator with the late tech journalist Om Malik, and the website creator for journalist Nick Bilton.
• And Krutal Desai, co-founder of the social application IRL alongside Khachatryan.

It is noteworthy that IRL ceased operations following findings that nearly its entire user base was composed of bots. The co-founders, which included CEO Abraham Shafi, later litigated against SoftBank and other investors after SoftBank initiated a lawsuit for securities fraud.

New advisors have also joined Automattic, including former Whoop CTO Jaime Waydo, June co-founder Matt Van Horn, and KISSmetrics co-founder Hiten Shah.

In a communication to staff, Mullenweg reportedly stated that, “for purposes of Delaware law, I am the CEO, President, Treasurer, and Secretary,” noting that the attempted dismissal had brought forth “many incredible supporters.”

“We had the most intriguing board meeting in a decade (since the Woo acquisition),” he remarked.

When asked for a statement, Automattic indicated that it would provide a response to TechCrunch soon. Following publication, Mullenweg verified the board additions and advisors, sharing the following message: “We are navigating through times of extraordinary transformation, possibly a singularity. The upcoming six months will shape the next 20 years of Automattic.”

The original board of Automattic had voted to place Mullenweg on compensated leave, but he reclaimed control of the company, dismissing those involved in what he referred to on X as a “coup attempt.”

To overhaul the board, Mullenweg utilized his voting shares — he stated at TechCrunch Disrupt 2024 that he holds 84% of the vote. The duration of his absence and return was precisely “33 hours and 20 minutes,” Automattic informed TechCrunch previously.

Following the unsuccessful board vote, member Toni Schneider, a founding CEO of Automattic and current CEO of Bluesky, stepped down from his board role. Mullenweg also dismissed General Ann Dunwoody from the board, and board member Sue Decker resigned as well. Additionally, Mullenweg let go of Automattic CFO Mark Davies, who was meant to become interim CEO, and chief legal officer Andy Missan, as confirmed by TechCrunch sources.

The board never publicly disclosed its rationale for attempting to remove Mullenweg.

Importantly, Mullenweg also appointed new legal counsel for Automattic post-return, a decision that raises concerns about whether the boardroom conflict is linked to the company’s ongoing litigation with hosting provider WP Engine regarding trademark issues and allegations concerning WP Engine’s limited contributions to the WordPress open-source initiative. (WP Engine’s legal team had accused Mullenweg this past July of tampering with evidence, as seen in court documents.)

In an internal message circulated after the ouster and return, Mullenweg acknowledged the unrest it caused, stating:

Last week, several board members formed a special committee and voted to place me on a leave of absence. They did this without prior notice and without giving me a reasonable opportunity to understand or address their concerns before they acted. I was denied even a brief extension to confer with independent legal counsel.

I took the necessary steps to reverse that decision. I am back and fully in charge of the company. I am once again collaborating with you to ensure our company’s success.

I also want to inform you that we have engaged Susman Godfrey LLP as our new litigation counsel. Susman Godfrey is among the leading trial firms in the nation, and they will safeguard our company’s interests and defend us in our ongoing litigation.

I realize this past week has been disconcerting. I appreciate your patience and your ongoing dedication to the vital work. I will provide further updates soon, but for now, understand that Automattic’s mission and priorities stay unchanged.

Corrections and updates: Following publication, TechCrunch amended to clarify that Waydo is the former Whoop CTO. We also incorporated Mullenweg’s statement and confirmation.