Automattic has appointed Jeremy Klaperman, CFO of its WordPress VIP Enterprise unit, as interim Chief Financial Officer following the departure of former CFO Mark Davies. The move comes after a failed attempt to remove CEO Matt Mullenweg last week, which led to the exit of several board members and executives, including Davies and Chief Legal Officer Andy Missan. Mullenweg also said a new Chief Legal Officer candidate has verbally accepted the role, while the board still must formally evaluate CFO candidates.
Following an Anthropic researcher's warning about AI risks, CEO Dario Amodei proposed a framework for AI labs to coordinate development speed through independent safety evaluators, particularly among companies in democratic nations. The idea has drawn some support but also criticism, notably from Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, who pushed back on the approach.
During a 33-hour period when Matt Mullenweg was placed on leave by Automattic's board, interim CEO Mark Davies and Chief Legal Officer Andy Missan each approved the other's exit agreement. The deals grant both executives a year of salary, accelerated equity vesting, stock option exercise rights, and extended health coverage, totaling roughly $8.15 million combined. Mullenweg fired both men upon reclaiming his role, and Automattic is now weighing whether to honor or legally contest the payouts.
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