The following contains references to sexual assault
Mr. McMahon delves into the career of Vince McMahon and what happened to him after he stepped down as the CEO of the WWE. A co-founder of World Wrestling Entertainment alongside his wife and business partner Linda, McMahon has been a vastly influential figure in that world. However, scandals have plagued his career, as seen in the documentary series Mr. McMahon, stemming from allegations of various kinds of misconduct that have only become more damning and horrifying as they pile up.
McMaho’s time as the CEO and chairman of the WWE came to an end in 2022 when the wrestling promoter was accused of paying hush-money to former staffers. McMahon stepped down as CEO and formally announced his retirement from the WWE. However, McMahon retained many of his connections to the wrestling world, at least until more allegations led to another high-profile exit from another company. Here are the details surrounding Vince McMahon’s retirement from the WWE.
Vince McMahon Returned As WWE’s Executive Chairman In 2023
Vince McMahon Reversed His 2022 Retirement Pretty Quickly
Even though Vince McMahon formally “retired” in 2022, it was only one year before he returned as the WWE’s Executive Chairman. As broken down by Wrestlenomics, Vince McMahon agreed to pay former WWE paralegal, Janel Grant, $2.5 million over the course of four years in January 2022. This was in exchange for her silence about her relationship with McMahon and any accusations of sexual misconduct against him or WWE Head of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis. Only two months later, the WWE Board learned of this hush payment and opened an investigation into the matter.
Although the findings weren’t made public, reports on the scandal (as well as several other hush-money payments made by McMahon) led to his retirement. By 2023, however, McMahon was already figuring out how to return to the WWE Board of Directors and claim the role of Executive Chairman — even while agreeing to million dollar settlements with his alleged sexual assault victims. By the end of the year, McMahon was back in a powerful position with the WWE and their new joint venture with the UFC, TKO Group Holdings. However, it wouldn’t be long before McMahon retired again.
Vince McMahon Sold Millions In TKO Stocks In 2024 After Resigning
McMahon Made Over $1 Billion By Selling His TKO Stocks
Although he had taken a position in the WWE following his retirement in 2022, Vince McMahon’s alleged abuse of Grant would resurface in early 2024. In January, the same week that McMahon joined TKO CEO Ari Emanuel and pro-wrestler turned movie star Dwayne Johnson at the New York Stock Exchange, Janel Grant issued a lawsuit accusing McMahon of sex trafficking and battery. McMahon has denied any wrongdoing in the case, but is (at the time of writing) under federal investigation over his alleged crimes. Thiis proved to be the final straw for Vince McMahon’s career.
As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, the severity of the details contained within the civil lawsuit (along with the hesitancy of sponsors to work with a McMahon-led WWE) helped prompt Emanuel and TKO president and COO Mark Shapiro to advise McMahon on resigning. Although McMahon left the world of wrestling (again), he amassed a great deal of money in his exit. As reported by Variety, McMahon sold many of his stocks in TKO, earning $1.5 billion in stock sales. While he may be out of the WWE, it’s clear that McMahon has still walked away with a sizable fortune.
How Involved Vince McMahon Is In WWE Today
Vince McMahon’s Son-In-Law Is Currently A Major Player In The WWE
Officially, Vince McMahon is no longer a part of the WWE. Grant’s lawsuit has been put on hold while the authorities investigate McMahin’s alleged crimes. Outlets like People have reported McMahon has taken the ensuing months easy and has been spotted vacationing around Europe. However, although McMahon himself is no longer involved directly, it doesn’t mean his family isn’t. His daughter Stephanie (a former wrestler herself) has formerly been a leading voice at the company, while her husband (star wrestler Triple H) is the current chief content officer and head of creative for WWE.
Despite Stephanie being Vince’s daughter, NBC News has reported that the two do not discuss the WWE business. Coupled with the severity of the charges he’s accused of and his advancing age, it’s reasonable to believe that the 79-year-old might finally be done with the company he helped create. The slew of accusations against Vince McMahon highlighted by Mr. McMahon underscores how powerful the controversial figure has always been and how he’s finally potentially facing consequences for his alleged actions.
Source:Wrestlenomics, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, NBC News
