# Matt Mullenweg

> Matt Mullenweg co-founded WordPress with Mike Little in 2003 and founded Automattic in 2005. He leads the company behind WordPress.com and other web products, invests through Audrey Capital, and advocates for open-source software and distributed work. His career also raises questions about the stewardship and governance of shared publishing infrastructure.

- **Role:** Founder and CEO at Automattic
- **Organizations:** Automattic, WordPress, WordPress Foundation, Audrey Capital
- **From:** Houston, United States
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, Houston, University of Houston
- **Known for:** Co-created the WordPress open-source publishing project., Founded Automattic and developed a company operating with a distributed workforce., Received the 2016 Heinz Award for Technology, the Economy and Employment.

## Career timeline

- **2003** — Co-founded WordPress with Mike Little; version 0.7 was released on May 27.
- **2004** — Accepted a CNET Networks role with time allocated to WordPress development and moved to San Francisco.
- **2005** — Founded Automattic after leaving CNET.
- **2014** — Became Automattic CEO, switching responsibilities with Toni Schneider.
- **2016** — Received the Heinz Award in Technology, the Economy and Employment.
- **2024** — WP Engine sued Automattic and Mullenweg; a December preliminary injunction required restoration of access to WordPress.org.
- **2026** — Remained Automattic CEO following a brief board-imposed leave in September.

## Achievements

- Co-created the WordPress open-source publishing project.
- Founded Automattic and developed a company operating with a distributed workforce.
- Received the 2016 Heinz Award for Technology, the Economy and Employment.

## Latest updates

- **2026-10** — On October 13, offered to help authors negotiate board appointments, with a one-percent fee donated to the WordPress Foundation or Locus Magazine.
- **2026-10** — On October 13, promoted an Automattic livestream with Neal Stephenson and recalled Snow Crash’s influence on his early web work.
- **2026-09** — Automattic announced a new board after his return as CEO.
- **2026-09** — Automattic confirmed his return as CEO following a brief board-imposed leave.
- **2026-08** — Published a WordCamp reading list encouraging the community to learn about AI and experiment with local models.
- **2026-08** — Argued that WordPress development should give more attention to bloggers alongside site builders.

## Links

- Website: https://ma.tt/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattm
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/photomatt
- GitHub: https://github.com/m
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/mullenweg
- Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/ma.tt
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/photomatt/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/matt.mullenweg

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/matt-mullenweg
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-14