WordPress, an open-source platform quietly powering nearly half of the internet’s websites, remains an unsung hero of the digital age. Behind its meteoric rise stands Matt Mullenweg, a controversial figure who founded WordPress in 2003 and built it into a vast ecosystem underpinned by his private company, Automattic.
The ongoing dispute between open source giant WordPress, represented by its founder Matt Mullenweg and Automattic, and WP Engine, a prominent WordPress hosting provider, has escalated into a significant conflict within the open source community. This report analyzes the key aspects of the battle, its context, and potential broader implications for the open source ecosystem.