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Automattic's board placed CEO Matt Mullenweg on a paid leave of absence, a move he said was against his will. In an internal Slack message, Mullenweg claimed Automattic's chief financial officer Mark Davies conspired with board members Ann Dunwoody, Toni Schneider, and Sue Decker to sideline him. The leadership shake-up at the WordPress.com parent company marks a significant escalation in internal tensions at Automattic, though the board has not publicly detailed its reasoning for the decision.