WordPress is Resilient by Design

Recent legal filings have stirred considerable attention. Be assured:

• WordPress will continue to thrive. The ecosystem is strong and resilient, supported by thousands of contributors and millions of users.
• Silver Lake and WP Engine are outliers. The overwhelming majority of WordPress users and businesses operate ethically and collaboratively—or at least neutrally.
• We’re working to protect you. Our actions are focused on defending the WordPress community.

How You Can Help

If you care about the future of WordPress, we encourage you to support the spirit of open source:

• Choose ethical hosting providers: Hosts that prioritize open source principles help keep the ecosystem healthy.
• Join the conversation: Engage with the WordPress community to stay informed and contribute to efforts to protect the open web.
• Support the community: Whether through contributions, advocacy, or simply staying informed, every action helps ensure WordPress remains free, open, and community-driven.

Private Equity vs. Open Source

Private equity firms operate with fundamentally different incentives to the community-driven, open source ethos that makes WordPress so powerful.

Their goal tends to be maximum profit via return on investment, which requires minimizing the investment of resources while extracting as much value as possible. Their approach can be thought of as  “Loot and Leave”—where their focus is to optimize exit valuation without care for the long-term health of the community or ecosystem, or the destruction they leave behind.

“These companies are run to maximise profits for the owners [….]. Attention is not directed towards the common wealth, but enriching the management, buyout partners and their institutional backers. That is the nature of the game. To argue otherwise is bogus.”

– Luke Johnson, Co-Founder of PE Firm, Risk Capital Partners in the Financial Times, 2012

The Private Equity Playbook 

Private equity firms tend to follow a playbook. Their primary goal is to maximize return on investment (ROI) as quickly as possible, often at the expense of the community they invest in. 

• Profit focus: Private equity firms typically aim for return on investment within several years. They aim to invest a certain amount, then exit for more, by selling companies they have invested in or taking them public. This practice has led to a spate of bankruptcies and failures in industries like healthcare, retail, and local newspapers.
• Power consolidation: Private equity firms seek to centralize control, acquiring key assets and consolidating power. When done to excess with the wrong priorities, this undermines the balance of open source projects.
• Taking, not giving: Private equity firms often use acquired assets to drive aggressive marketing and monetisation, focusing on profit, at the expense of reinvesting in the community.

Examples of Private Equity vs. Open Source

Other open source projects and ecosystems have been adversely affected by private equity activities:

Example 1: Magento

Magento was once a leading open source ecommerce platform with a thriving community of developers. After being acquired by private equity firm Permira, it saw a sharp shift towards commercial interests:

• Free features became limited, and users were pushed towards monetized solutions.
• Developer contributions to the open source version slowed as Magento’s focus shifted towards its enterprise product.
• Magento was eventually sold to Adobe, garnering Permira a 5x profit but leaving behind a fragmented and weakened open source community. 

Example 2: Talend

Data integration company Talend, another open source project with a strong community, experienced a similar fate after a private equity firm acquired it:

• After the company went public, community participation dwindled, leaving behind a struggling ecosystem.

• The project became increasingly focused on monetization, with many open source users forced into premium models.

Silver Lake & WP Engine: An Overview

Once upon a time, WP Engine was aligned with open source ideals.

“Open Source has shaped who WP Engine is and the larger internet is greatly affected by it. […] 

One of the values at WP Engine that we hold dear is “Aspiring to lead. Committed to give back.”  In the spirit of this we will contribute to a number of open source projects like WordPress Core, NGINX and HHVM. 

Our first effort in this is to hire two full time contributors to the WordPress Core.” 
WP Engine, 2015 to 2019

When Silver Lake placed three officers on a four-person Board, the focus changed.

2018: Silver Lake Invests $250m in WP Engine

In 2018, Silver Lake invested $250m, acquiring three board seats. With a controlling interest, Silver Lake possessed a means to change WP Engine’s ethos and strategy.

Let us be clear—there is nothing wrong with running a profitable business. Yet doing so at the expense of an open source community becomes destructive.

Acquisition & Consolidation of Power

WP Engine proceeded to acquire key assets across the WordPress ecosystem. These include advanced custom fields, Better Search Replace, WP Migrate, Flywheel, Array Themes, and StudioPress (Genesis Framework).

It then leveraged these acquisitions to extract maximum value from those ecosystems and their communities through aggressive marketing, promotion, and cross-selling.

Profit Extraction & ROI

Through this pattern of corporate acquisition, monetization and consolidation, WP Engine quickly moved to the next step: extraction beyond contribution. It systematically re-deployed staff contributors to for-profit roles within the company, and despite growing quickly, reduced contributions to the WordPress project to just 45 hours per week.

WP Engine’s Facade of Support

One of WP Engine’s most insidious tactics has been to present itself as supporting the WordPress community. Its marketing materials position the company as champions of the WordPress ecosystem, presenting carefully curated stories that suggest alignment with open source values. WP Engine claims to be “the most trusted platform for WordPress” just as WP Engine previously stated their commitment to give back to the WordPress core. However, this messaging is designed to mask the reality that due to a private equity firm in the background, its incentives are driven by profits and exit-valuations, not giving back for the sake of community health.

Risks of Invisible Erosion

WP Engine’s marketing machine ensures that users remain largely unaware of the deeper impact its business model has on the ecosystem. The erosion happens slowly and invisibly through the methods described above, in a way that creates confusion and misunderstanding. 

Through its acquisitions and messaging, WP Engine has actively interfered with the broader WordPress ecosystem, often steering users towards its own services and away from others.

• Promoting hosting via free plugins: WP Engine has acquired plugins, hosted on the .org plugin directory, then used them to nudge users toward its own hosting services, even offering three months free hosting to entice users to their paid products. What began as a free or affordable plugin hosted in a community space, is now a powerful lead generation system for expensive hosting packages.
• Cross-selling and bias: Once within the WP Engine ecosystem, users are bombarded with subtle messaging that suggests they need WP Engine to fully optimize their WordPress experience. Other options are minimized or not presented at all.
• Drama vs Serenity: WP Engine has positioned its services as calm and meditative, painting others as dramatic. The power of its messaging machine to affect customer sentiment is visible across social media.

These tactics are not in the interests of the WordPress open source project. Over time, the private equity playbook erodes our community, turning contributors into customers.

Calling out WP Engine

For nearly a year, Matt has attempted to constructively engage WP Engine on proper use of the trademark and the need for them to contribute to the community from which they profit. Not getting anywhere, Matt suggested that WP Engine either execute a license for the Foundation’s WordPress trademarks or dedicate 8 percent of its revenue to the further development of the open source WordPress platform. This is a modest request, considering WP Engine quadrupled its revenue between 2018 and 2024, now generating $400M ARR by leveraging the value created by the WordPress open source project and its trademarks.

WordPress Trademark

The WordPress Foundation owns the trademark “WordPress,” along with names and logos of several other WordPress-related brands. Companies have many ways to use the trademarks fairly and in accordance with the Trademark Usage Policy. For example, saying “we develop sites built on WordPress” is fine.

Anyone, including WP Engine, can use the name WordPress to refer to or explain their offerings, but cannot use it as part of a company name, domain name, product name, or service name. Automattic holds the exclusive commercial license to use and sub-license the trademarks for use in those ways.

It’s important to note that a significant part of Automattic’s revenue, including any licensing revenue, is channeled back into supporting the WordPress community, as Automattic is currently contributing 3,552 hours per week to the WordPress project. This comes out to something in the order of $20M annually in salaries.

WP Engine & WordPress Trademark

In contrast, WP Engine generates approximately $400M annual revenue, while contributing minimally to the open source project. WP Engine trades off the goodwill associated with the WordPress and WooCommerce trademarks—profiting from its use while contributing little back. 

For over a year now, Automattic has been trying to resolve the matter in good faith. Unfortunately, WP Engine has refused to correct inappropriate trademark usage, pay for a license, or give back in kind.

Taking Defensive Action

After multiple attempts to solve unauthorized use of the trademark and redress WP Engine’s ratio of taking more than giving, at WordCamp US in September 2024, Matt Mullenweg shared his story, revealing how Automattic had been strung along, and finally called out WP Engine for its continued exploitation of the WordPress ecosystem. 

He followed up with a number of public statements and—in his capacity as WordPress.org owner—blocked WP Engine from accessing WordPress.org servers. Automattic and WP Engine have issued cease and desist notices to each other, and litigation has commenced.

The WordPress Foundation has both the right and responsibility to protect the WordPress trademarks from misuse, and Automattic has the right to govern its commercial use in exchange for either financial contributions or contributions of time to the WordPress core and open source WordPress community.

Matt has the right and responsibility to deny access to WordPress.org services and to protect the WordPress ecosystem from systemic interference, powerful entities with misaligned incentives, and long-term risk.  

Standing Up for WordPress: Defending the Open Source Ecosystem

At its heart, WordPress is a platform built on the principles of freedom, collaboration, and openness. It has thrived for over two decades because of the commitment of the community and its leaders to these ideals to ensure WordPress will continue to serve the many, not the few.

WP Engine has one of the highest revenues of any commercial service provider in the WordPress ecosystem, paired with some of the most aggressive marketing that historically has misused the WordPress trademark, yet one of the lowest ratios of contribution to the WordPress core. 

Silver Lake and WP Engine repeatedly refused to improve the ratio of taking and giving—signaling clear risk to the future of WordPress. 

This presented Matt with a difficult yet important choice: either stand by and watch WordPress be invisibly eroded by private equity’s profiteering, or take decisive action to defend the future of the platform.

Matt’s actions were not retaliation or retribution. They were to defend the future of WordPress from systemic interference and to draw attention to this cause.

While restricting access to the WordPress.org plugin directory may seem disruptive, these measures were carefully considered. WP Engine was able to deploy its own equivalent within days, and WP Engine users retained access to downloading and uploading plugins directly.

Transparency in Our Actions

Open source ecosystems like WordPress require a balance—a give and take in which contributors, users, and businesses all play a role in the platform’s success. When powerful groups take far more than they give, they threaten to destabilize this balance.

Throughout this situation, we have focused on taking actions that protect the community. We’ve been careful to minimize disruption to the broader ecosystem, and whenever possible have helped users and businesses transition smoothly and easily. However, we understand that some users and businesses may be concerned about the impact of these actions, or may have wondered if their roles were safe. 

Let us be clear: the WordPress ecosystem remains strong. 

Our actions target WP Engine, which is influenced by its private equity backer Silver Lake.

If you are using WordPress ethically and contributing to the ecosystem, or even enjoying the democratization of publishing, we wish for you to prosper.  

What This Means for You

The actions we’ve taken are to protect WordPress, but we understand that they raise important questions.

WordPress Site Owners

If you’re a WordPress site owner, rest assured that actions taken only relate to WP Engine.

• Your website is safe: The functionality, security, and stability of your WordPress site are not affected by these actions. WordPress continues to be a powerful, reliable content management system, supported by a vibrant community of contributors and developers.
• You still have choices: There are many ethical hosting providers and developers who support the open source community and align with WordPress values. If your current hosting provider doesn’t support open source ideals, we encourage you to explore options.
• No disruption to your tools and plugins: The vast majority of WordPress plugins and themes continue to operate as normal. Your day-to-day experience remains unchanged.

Developers and Agencies

As a WordPress developer or agency, you play a vital role in the WordPress ecosystem. It’s crucial that you be able to build, innovate, and provide services to your clients without the influence of bad faith actors undermining your efforts.

• Your tools remain available: The vast majority of developer tools, APIs, and plugins remain unaffected.
• The ecosystem will remain strong: Our actions ensure that the WordPress ecosystem continues to be a space for ethical collaboration.

Other Hosting Providers

If you are a hosting provider that supports WordPress, you are likely wondering what this means for your business and your relationship with the platform. There’s an easy answer: we see this as an opportunity to strengthen partnerships with hosts who align with open source values.

• Ethical hosts are key partners: We value hosting providers who support the community, contribute to WordPress core, and prioritize the success of their customers over aggressive monetization tactics.
• WP Engine is an outlier: Our only dispute is with those whose at scale systematic interference is harmful to the long term health of WordPress ecosystem. If your business contributes positively or exists without causing harm, actions are not intended to affect you.

FAQ

Will my WordPress site still work as expected?

Yes, the changes we’ve made are designed to protect the long-term health of WordPress. For the vast majority of users, your site’s functionality, security, and performance will remain unchanged.

Are all hosting providers affected by this?

No. Our actions are focused on WP Engine. Other providers remain unaffected.

What if I don’t want to switch hosts right now?

That’s entirely your choice. We encourage you to ask your hosting provider about its values, contributions to WordPress, and long-term commitment to the community. Staying informed is the first step.

Are plugins or themes being removed?

No. The beauty of open-source is freedom. WordPress.org has blocked login access to WP Engine and affiliates. The vast majority of plugins and themes remain available and unaffected.

How can I migrate my site to a new host?

Many ethical hosting providers offer free migration services. Reach out to them for support, and they will guide you through the process to ensure a smooth transition.

How does this affect my clients as a developer?

Your clients’ sites will continue to function as normal. We encourage you to educate your clients about the importance of ethical hosting and support them in making informed choices for the future of their WordPress sites.

How do I know if my host is ethical?

An ethical host contributes to WordPress core, supports open source values, and is transparent about its business practices. Ask your hosting company about its involvement in the WordPress community to learn more.

Are these actions permanent?

Our goal is to protect the long-term health of WordPress. The actions are not intended to be permanent, but will remain in place as long as necessary to defend the ecosystem.

How can I contribute to WordPress?

Visit WordPress.org and join the community of contributors. There are many ways to get involved, from code contributions to documentation, testing, design, translation, support and more.

If you aren’t able to contribute your time and skills, then you could donate to the WordPress foundation, sponsor or attend a WordCamp or Meetup in your area, or even just express your support for the spirit of open source by sharing this web page with your network.

Why did it come to this?

After years of attempted dialogue and engagement, it became clear that certain actors were unwilling to align with the community’s values. We took these actions to defend the future of WordPress.

We Want to Hear From You

The WordPress community thrives on open dialogue and collaboration. If you have questions, concerns, or feedback, we encourage you to reach out. Whether you’re a site owner, developer, or host, your voice matters.

• Join the conversation: Visit our community forums and participate in discussions about the future of WordPress and how we can continue to protect the platform.
• Stay informed: Subscribe to updates to keep track of important developments and learn how you can contribute to the health of the WordPress ecosystem.

Contact us: If you have specific questions or need support during this transition, don’t hesitate to get in touch. We’re here to help.