San Francisco, February 4, 2025-The 2005 Hot Nacho” scandal resurfaces as Matt Mullenweg battles WP Engine. Past SEO manipulation and Google bans fuel fresh scrutiny of his leadership.
The infamous Hot Nacho Scandal that once rocked WordPress is making waves again as Matt Mullenweg finds himself embroiled in a heated dispute with WP Engine. The echoes of SEO manipulation, Google bans, and widespread industry backlash from nearly two decades ago are now being revisited in the light of the ongoing conflict.
Mullenweg, founder of WordPress, recently recalled past controversies—including the Hot Nacho debacle of 2005—to downplay the current WP Engine clash. The scandal, involving a paid SEO link scheme that led to Google banning WordPress.org, resulted in harsh criticism from tech leaders like Jason Kottke, who stated:
This stinks like last week’s fish. Is WordPress an open-source project or a company?
The scandal, though damaging at the time, was ultimately buried with time—something Mullenweg now suggests could also happen with the WP Engine feud.
The WP Engine conflict revolves around licensing and trademark issues, with Mullenweg taking an aggressive stance—similar to how he handled the Hot Nacho backlash years ago. Critics argue that history is repeating itself, with Mullenweg’s leadership tactics under intense scrutiny once again.
Despite the controversy, a former associate of Hot Nacho defended him:
Sure, it was a mistake, but Matt is a really good guy. He was just trying to keep WordPress alive.
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