Automattic has a new board after failed attempt to put CEO on leave

techcrunch.com Sep 26, 2026

Automattic has a new board after failed attempt to put CEO on leave

Curated by Shubham · TechCapsules · Sep 26, 2026

AI-summarised brief · reviewed before publication

Automattic’s chief executive Matt Mullenweg reshaped the company’s board after a failed attempt by the previous directors to place him on paid leave and remove him from leadership. Within 33 hours of the board’s vote, Mullenweg reclaimed control, dismissed the dissenting directors and several senior officers, and announced a new board comprising a best‑selling science‑fiction author, the co‑founders of the defunct social app IRL, and new advisers such as former Woop CTO Jaime Waydo, June co‑founder Matt Van Horn and KISSmetrics co‑founder Hiten Shah. Mullenweg, who holds 84 % of Automattic’s voting shares, emphasized his continued roles under Delaware law and framed the episode as a “coup attempt” that brought “amazing supporters.” The board overhaul follows ongoing legal disputes with WP Engine and a recent change in legal counsel.

💡 Why It Matters

· The swift board reset consolidates Mullenweg’s dominance, allowing him to steer Automattic’s strategic direction amid high‑stakes litigation and potential shifts in the open‑source WordPress ecosystem.

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Sources: Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg announces a new board and new advisers;…

Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg announced a new board and advisory panel, adding two founders of the social‑media startup IRL and Sarah Perez, author of the Silo book series, as members. The move follows a period of internal restructuring and aims to broaden the company’s strategic outlook. Mullenweg highlighted the board’s diverse expertise in community building, content creation, and technology innovation. The announcement was made during a virtual press conference and signals a shift toward a more inclusive governance model.

💡 The inclusion of IRL founders and a bestselling author signals Automattic’s intent to blend grassroots community insights with mainstream media influence, potentially reshaping its content strategy and market positioning.

therobotreport.com · Sep 26

Agility Robotics, maker of Digit humanoid, exploring wheeled robots

Agility Robotics showcased a wheeled robot in its Digit 5 launch video, signaling the company’s exploration of alternative designs. CEO Jonathan Hurst confirmed the firm is testing wheels to meet diverse environments while legged robots mature. No specific timeline or product name has been released. The move reflects Agility’s broader strategy to broaden market reach and accelerate commercialization, especially as the company prepares to go public via a SPAC and faces early revenue challenges. The wheeled concept could enable quicker deployment in flat, predictable settings.

💡 By adding wheels, Agility expands its product portfolio, potentially unlocking new customer segments and reducing time to market for robotic solutions. This flexibility could accelerate adoption of robotics across industries that require reliable, energy‑efficient mobility.

firstpost.com · Sep 25

Trump and Xi’s dinner date with top AI leaders: Why Anthropic CEO…

On September 24, President Donald Trump hosted a state dinner for Chinese President Xi Jinping that gathered senior executives from leading U.S. tech firms, including OpenAI, Meta, Apple, X, Amazon, Google, Nvidia and others. Anthropic’s chief executive, Dario Amodei, was notably absent. In a recent essay, Amodei warned that a Chinese lead in the artificial‑intelligence race would constitute a “grave danger” to the United States and the world. Anthropic has deep ties to U.S. national‑security agencies, with its Claude model deployed across classified networks and a pending $200 million Department of Defense contract to prototype advanced AI for defense. However, the company has clashed with the Trump administration over restrictions on Claude’s use in autonomous weapons and surveillance, culminating in a court dispute after the administration labeled Anthropic a “supply‑chain risk.” The company also restricts sales to China‑controlled firms, citing concerns about military and intelligence misuse.

💡 Amodei’s absence underscores the growing friction between U.S. AI innovators and policymakers over security, export controls, and the geopolitical stakes of the AI race.

thestar.com.my · Sep 25

Anthropic seeks 50.1% voting control for co-founders ahead of IPO, The Information…

Anthropic is proposing a new corporate structure that would grant CEO Dario Amodei and his six co‑founders a combined 50.1% of voting power through a special class of shares. The arrangement mirrors Palantir’s founder‑control model and would remain in effect as long as at least three of the seven founders hold a minimum number of shares. Board elections remain an exception, and employees will receive a separate special class of stock to act as tie‑breaker votes. The move precedes the company’s anticipated IPO, which could rank among the largest in history.

💡 By securing majority voting control, Anthropic positions its founders to steer strategic decisions during a critical fundraising phase, potentially shaping the company’s trajectory as it enters public markets.

thestar.com.my · Sep 25

US government seeks to join Elon Musk in challenge against EU’s fine…

The U.S. Department of Justice announced it has formally joined Elon Musk’s legal challenge to overturn a €120 million fine imposed by the European Union on his social‑media platform X. The fine, the first under the EU’s Digital Services Act, followed a two‑year investigation into X’s handling of illegal and harmful content. The U.S. application was filed with the EU’s General Court, arguing that the Commission overstepped its authority by targeting an American company not operating within EU borders. Musk’s appeal seeks to annul the sanction and defend X’s compliance framework.

💡 The move underscores a growing U.S. pushback against EU digital‑policy enforcement, potentially reshaping how multinational tech firms navigate cross‑border regulatory regimes.

ibtimes.com · Sep 25

Trump Allies Are Targeting Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei Over AI ‘Doomerism’ As…

President Donald Trump’s political allies are intensifying a campaign against Anthropic, the AI firm co‑founded by Dario Amodei, by circulating a memo that links the CEO and his sister, Anthropic president Daniela Amodei, to the effective altruism (EA) movement. The document, drafted by a Trump adviser outside the White House, portrays EA as a “pipeline” for AI doomsday narratives and accuses it of prioritizing “foreigners over citizens” and hypothetical future beings over current people. Anthropic has publicly distanced itself from the EA label, with both Daniela Amodei and researcher Amanda Askell stating the philosophy does not define the company and Dario Amodei denying membership. The memo reflects a broader political clash, as Trump dismisses AI risk warnings while Amodei advocates for stronger safety measures.

💡 The attack weaponizes philosophical affiliation to undermine a leading AI safety voice, turning a technical debate into a partisan battlefield.