In a recent podcast interview, Matt Mullenweg shared his informal plans for ensuring the future of WordPress. He outlined several areas where WordPress is taking advantage of technological changes, including security, AI integration, and reducing technical debt. He also addressed the long-term future of WordPress leadership, emphasizing the importance of decisive vision. Mullenweg outlined four … Read more
Matt Mullenweg, co-creator of WordPress, recently held a question-and-answer session at WordCamp Asia 2025, where he faced several tough questions. Topics included whether he was open to discussing change, the steep learning curve of WordPress, and whether he would reconsider reducing Automattic’s contributions to WordPress core. As tough as those questions were, Matt answered each … Read more
AA WordPress developer pleaded with Matt Mullenweg at WordCamp Asia 2025, asking him to restore Automattic’s contributions to the WordPress core. Mullenweg apologized and said it’s not up to him; it’s up to WP Engine to drop their lawsuit, and he encouraged the community to put pressure on WP Engine. Automattic’s Scaled-Back WordPress Contributions Automattic … Read more
Matt Mullenweg, co-creator of WordPress, posted a statement on X (formerly Twitter) announcing that Joost de Valk was no longer speaking at WordCamp Asia and was persona non grata for having “stabbed” him when he was vulnerable and betraying his confidence. Mullenweg cited statements by de Valk to prove his point, but those statements were … Read more
Matt Mullenweg downplayed his dispute with WP Engine, saying it’s not as big a deal as people are making it out to be and shared that he believes it will all be over in a few months. Matt Compares Himself To Standing Up To Bullies The podcast host expressed surprise at how harshly Matt went … Read more
A legal document filed in federal court formally notifies that Automattic and Matt Mullenweg have added new representation, a lawyer who has previously represented Meta and Facebook. The new documentation is formally called NOTICE of Appearance. There may be an additional legal filing that may indicate that the previous legal team may no longer be … Read more
Matt Mullenweg started a Reddit discussion in the r/WPDrama subreddit asking what kind of drama he can create in 2025, sparking an avalanche of responses that subsequently generated a spinoff discussion about one of his responses to another Redditor. The public r/WPDrama subreddit was created in October 2024 as a place to discuss the fallout … Read more
Joost de Valk, co-founder of the Yoast SEO plugin, called for a change in WordPress governance that removes Mullenweg as the sole decision maker, offering to lead the transition to a more democratic and diverse board that is representative of WordPress stakeholders. Matt Mullenweg disagreed. Critique Of Mullenweg’s Leadership Joost says that he was prompted … Read more
Matt Mullenweg accused Inc Magazine of distorting an interview with him, publishing verifiably fake facts and quoting people who lacked credibility. Mullenweg posted compelling examples of how the Inc magazine misrepresented his quotes and presented false fact, citing the selection of unflattering photos as evidence of a conscious effort to negatively slant their interview of … Read more
Matt Mullenweg announced the abrupt pause in services offered by WordPress.org, affecting plugin submissions, reviews, theme submissions, and additions to the photo directory. He offers to keep providing these services to WP Engine, citing the recent court order against him and Automattic that compels him to offer “free labor and services.” Pause For The Holidays … Read more
WP Engine regained control of their Advanced Custom Forms plugin and login access to WordPress.org. Matt Mullenweg responded by expressing that he is “disgusted and sickened.” Mullenweg tweeted about how he felt about how things turned out: “I’m disgusted and sickened by being legally forced to provide free labor and services to @wpengine, a dangerous … Read more
A judge ruled in WP Engine’s favor in their request for a preliminary injunction against Automattic and Matt Mullenweg. The court agreed that WP Engine will suffer irreparable harm if the injunction is not granted and giving the defendants (Automattic and Mullenweg) 72 hours to return things to the way they were as of September … Read more
WP Engine escalated its Federal complaint by citing Automattic’s publication of the WP Engine Tracker website as evidence of intent to harm WP Engine and exposing customers to potential cybercrimes. The updated complaint incorporates recent actions by Mullenweg to further strengthen their case. A spokesperson for WP Engine issued a statement to Search Engine Journal … Read more
Matt Mullenweg portrayed himself as a victim in his dispute with WP Engine, claiming in a tweet and blog post that they are ‘trying to curtail’ his free speech. Social media responses ranged from polite debunking of his First Amendment claim to accusations of hypocrisy. TL/DR Of Dispute With WP Engine Matt Mullenweg, co-creator of … Read more
Matt Mullenweg, co-founder of WordPress and CEO of Automattic announced on Reddit that WP Engine initiated legal action against WordPress, Automattic, and Mullenweg himself. Mullenweg wrote that WordPress is countersuing. WP Engine is a leading managed WordPress host provider that Mullenweg alleges is violating the WordPress trademark. Mullenweg’s comments came in a Reddit thread titled … Read more
A leaked internal memo from Matt Mullenweg to the staff at Tumblr outlined plans to shift employees out of Tumblr to other teams in Automattic and run Tumblr on with significantly reduced staffing. Matt Mullenweg subsequently confirmed that the leak was genuine and offered an explanation of what’s going on with Tumblr. Tumblr Not Earning … Read more
