A legal dispute has been brewing between WordPress and WP Engine, a web hosting company. WP Engine filed an injunction in California court on October 18, seeking access to WordPress.org. However, the case is not just about access to WordPress software, but rather about control over WordPress.org, which is owned by Matt Mullenweg, founder of Automattic. The dispute has led to a significant number of employees leaving Automattic, including 159 who took a severance package on October 3. In response, Automattic offered its remaining employees 200 A12 shares as a token of gratitude.

Source: https://techcrunch.com/2024/10/28/wordpress-vs-wp-engine-drama-explained/