Matt Mullenweg Net Worth: Exploring Matt’s Career & Wealth

Matt Mullenweg is an American web developer and entrepreneur. He is famous as the co-founder of WordPress. Mullenweg is also the CEO of the company behind WordPress.com and Automattic. As of 2024, Matt Mullenweg’s net worth is approximately $400 million.

Early Life and Rise to Fame

Matt Mullenweg was born in Houston, Texas, on January 11, 1984. He was raised by his parents, Chuck and Kathleen Mullenweg. He became interested in technology influenced by his dad, who is a computer scientist. From a young age, he developed a passion for programming and computers.

Mullenweg would often visit his dad’s workplace, where he learned about the concept of open-source software for the first time. Regarding his education, he studied at the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (HSPVA). While in high school, he mostly focused on learning jazz and saxophone.

However, he used to miss school frequently due to chronic migraines. Matt eventually graduated in 2002 and then enrolled at the University of Houston. Matt intended to major in political science and philosophy at the University. However, he dropped out in 2004 to pursue a career in technology.

Mullenweg made a breakthrough in his career as a co-founder of WordPress in 2003. Along with Mike Little, he began WordPress as a fork of the b2/catalog platform. He was 19 when he developed this fantastic content management system. Two years later, in 2005, he founded the parent company of WordPress.com, Automattic.

How did Matt Mullenweg become famous?

Matt Mullenweg rose to fame as a co-founder of WordPress. He and Mike Little started WordPress in January 2003 as a fork of b2. They soon joined hands with the original b2 developer, Michel Valdrighi. While working on WordPress, he worked with Tantek Celik and Eric Meyer and started the Global Multimedia Protocols Group (GMPG).

At a young age, he helped launch a mechanism called Ping-O-Matic that notifies search engines about blog updates. Around that time, he worked with CNET while continuing to develop WordPress part-time. He eventually left college and shifted to San Francisco to work with CNET.

In October 2005, he left CNET and decided to give full-time focus on WordPress. Soon, he announced an Akismet service to reduce comment and trackback spam. In December 2005, he began his company, Automattic, which manages WordPress.com and Akismet as its flagship products.

Mullenweg recruited Toni Schneider as the CEO of the Automattic in January 2006. After eight years, Matt took responsibility as the company’s CEO and initiated the work on new projects. In addition to dedicating time to Automattic, he served on the board for GitLab, Inc. for two years.

Mullenweg also runs the angel investment firm Audrey Capital along with Audrey Kim and Naven Selvadurai. They have been running the company since 2008. In February 2024, he took a three-month break from his role as CEO of Automattic. Soon, after a month, he engaged in a public argument with a transgender Tumblr.

The user was frustrated with the site’s failed mechanism of addressing transphobic harassment. A frustrated transgender Tumblr user wished that the Automattic CEO would die in a comedic way. Following that, the company banned transgender Tumblr users. Recently, he got into another public feud after he attacked WP Engine, calling it cancer. He also compared WP Engine with WordPress and stated that it was an inferior masquerade of WordPress.

Matt Mullenweg’s Relationship History

Matt Mullenweg has maintained a low profile regarding his love affairs. In the past, he was in a relationship with a fellow tech entrepreneur, Megan. Their shared interests in technology characterized their romantic relationship. Nevertheless, Matt has not provided details about his relationship with his alleged girlfriend, Megan.

The Automattic CEO has been linked to a lady named Darlene. She is believed to have long shared a strong bond with him. Darlene also supported the success and challenges of running a dollar company, Automattic. Matt and Darlene’s relationship seems to be stable and supportive.

Mullengweg knows the value of personal relationships and often emphasizes keeping personal affairs outside the public eye. He also believes in balancing professional success and personal fulfillment perfectly.

What is Matt Mullenweg Net Worth in 2024?

As of 2024, Matt Mullenweg’s net worth is roughly $400 million. He has accumulated an enormous fortune from his various successful tech ventures. Matt’s primary source of income is his significant stake in Automattic. His company raised around $300 million in Series D funding, after which the company was valued at over $3 billion.

By August 2021, Automattic’s valuation had increased exponentially, reaching nearly $7.5 billion. The company achieved a high valuation after raising almost $288 million. In addition to his significant earnings from his company, he makes hefty sums from numerous personal investments through Audrey Capital, his angel investment firm. In 2012, he invested $1.1 million in a British EdTech company, Memrise. Similarly, he invested $1.2 million in a digital retail startup, Pointy, in a seed round in 2015.

In August 2019, he announced that his company, Automattic, would acquire Tumblr for $3 million. He also announced that Automattic has added over 200 Tumblr employees to their company. Matt has expanded Automattic’s portfolio by making high-profile acquisitions such as Gravatar, Longreads, Cloudup, Sensei, and Parse.ly.

Mullengweg’s net worth has continuously grown despite turning down a massive offer of $200 million to sell his company, Automattic, in 2009. He is also active in philanthropic activities. Matt supports non-profit organizations such as the Electric Frontier Foundation, the Free Software Foundation, the Innocence Project, and the Long Now Foundation. Matt has likewise donated a vast amount to the Water and the Bay Lights art installation, the group charity in San Francisco.