Automattic Inc.

Who founded Automattic?
Automattic was founded in 2005 by Matt Mullenweg, who co-created WordPress in 2003. Mullenweg serves as CEO and is the largest individual shareholder.

Does Automattic own WordPress?
No. WordPress is open-source software governed by the WordPress Foundation. Automattic operates WordPress.com as a commercial hosted service and contributes significantly to WordPress core development, but the open-source WordPress project is separate from Automattic's commercial operations.

Is Automattic publicly traded?
No. Automattic is a privately held company and has not pursued a public listing. The company has been valued at approximately 7.5 billion dollars in private funding rounds.

What is the WP Engine lawsuit about?
In September 2024, Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg blocked WP Engine's access to WordPress.org resources, accusing WP Engine of not contributing adequately to the open-source WordPress project. WP Engine filed a lawsuit in October 2024. In December 2024, a federal court issued a preliminary injunction ordering Automattic to restore WP Engine's access. In September 2025, a federal judge ruled that Automattic must pay WP Engine's attorney fees related to the preliminary injunction.

What was Automattic's 2024 revenue?
Automattic reported 710 million dollars in revenue in 2024, up approximately 11 percent year over year from 580.2 million dollars in 2022.

What platforms does Automattic operate?
Automattic operates WordPress.com, WooCommerce, Tumblr, Jetpack, Akismet, Gravatar, and WordPress VIP, among other services.

Matt Mullenweg co-created WordPress in 2003 and founded Automattic in 2005 to build commercial services around the WordPress ecosystem. WordPress.com launched in 2005 as a hosted blogging platform. Jetpack launched in 2011 as a plugin suite for self-hosted WordPress sites. Akismet, a spam-filtering service, was one of Automattic's earliest products.

Automattic acquired WooCommerce in 2015 for approximately 30 million dollars, significantly expanding its presence in e-commerce. WooCommerce has since grown to power a substantial share of all e-commerce websites globally. In 2019, Automattic acquired Tumblr from Verizon Media for a reported 3 million dollars, a fraction of the 1.1 billion dollars Yahoo paid for Tumblr in 2013.

The company reported revenue of 45 million dollars in 2012, 418.3 million dollars in 2021, 580.2 million dollars in 2022, and 710 million dollars in 2024. Automattic has remained private throughout its history, with Mullenweg consistently declining to pursue a public listing.

In September 2024, Mullenweg publicly accused WP Engine, a managed WordPress hosting company, of being a "cancer to WordPress" and of not contributing sufficiently to the open-source WordPress project. Automattic blocked WP Engine's access to WordPress.org resources, including plugin updates. WP Engine filed a lawsuit against Automattic and Mullenweg in October 2024. In December 2024, a federal court issued a preliminary injunction ordering Automattic to restore WP Engine's access to WordPress.org resources. The dispute generated significant controversy in the WordPress community and raised questions about the governance of the WordPress open-source project and the relationship between Automattic and WordPress.org.

The WP Engine dispute continued into 2025 and 2026. In September 2025, a federal judge ruled that Automattic must pay WP Engine's attorney fees related to the preliminary injunction. The case has broader implications for open-source governance and the relationship between commercial entities and community-governed projects.

Automattic's distributed workforce model represents its primary sustainability initiative. The company's approximately 4,000 employees work remotely from over 90 countries, eliminating the need for large office buildings and reducing commuting-related carbon emissions.

The company's environmental strategy centers on its fully remote work model, which reduces office energy consumption and allows employees to work from locations with lower carbon footprints. Automattic has documented the environmental benefits of distributed work and serves as a model for remote-first technology companies.

In open-source ethics, Automattic contributes to the WordPress open-source project and employs numerous WordPress core contributors. However, the company's relationship with the open-source community has faced scrutiny following the WP Engine controversy, which raised questions about the boundaries between commercial interests and open-source governance.

Automattic is not a Certified B Corporation. The company maintains data privacy and content moderation programs across its services including WordPress.com, Tumblr, and WooCommerce.

Automattic has received recognition for workplace innovation and remote work leadership.

• Great Place to Work Certification: Multiple years of recognition for workplace culture across its distributed workforce
• Remote Work Leadership Awards: Recognition for pioneering distributed work practices
• Technology Innovation Awards: Recognition for WordPress.com, WooCommerce, and other platforms' contributions to web publishing and e-commerce
• Entrepreneur Recognition: CEO Matt Mullenweg has received awards for entrepreneurship and technology innovation

The WP Engine controversy has complicated Automattic's recognition in open-source community awards, with some organizations distancing themselves from the company following the governance dispute.

Automattic has faced significant controversy related to WordPress governance, competitive practices, and the company's role in the open-source ecosystem.

The most significant controversy involves the ongoing legal battle with WP Engine. In September 2024, CEO Matt Mullenweg blocked WP Engine's access to WordPress.org resources, accusing the company of not contributing adequately to the open-source WordPress project. This action disrupted thousands of WordPress websites by preventing them from updating plugins and themes, leaving them vulnerable to security attacks.

WP Engine filed a lawsuit against Automattic and Mullenweg in October 2024, alleging abuse of power, trademark infringement, and unfair business practices. The company claimed Mullenweg threatened to take a "scorched earth nuclear approach" unless WP Engine agreed to pay a significant percentage of its revenues for a WordPress trademark license.

In December 2024, a federal court granted WP Engine a preliminary injunction, ordering Automattic and Mullenweg to restore WP Engine's access to WordPress.org resources. The court required removal of developer login checks that forced WP Engine affiliation declarations and restoration of access to the Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) plugin. In September 2025, a federal judge ruled that Automattic must pay WP Engine's attorney fees related to the preliminary injunction.

The WordPress Foundation, owned by Mullenweg, updated its trademark policy page to specifically call out WP Engine, stating the company had confused users by using the "WP" abbreviation and had never donated to the WordPress Foundation despite generating billions in revenue from WordPress-based services.

The dispute has raised broader concerns about the governance of open-source projects and the potential conflicts of interest when commercial entities control critical infrastructure. Critics have questioned whether Automattic's dual role as both a commercial WordPress company and controller of WordPress.org resources creates unfair competitive advantages.

Community backlash has been significant, with many WordPress developers and users expressing concern about the impact on the ecosystem's stability and security. The controversy has highlighted tensions between commercial interests and open-source principles in the WordPress community.