For the first time since its inception as the Capitol Wrestling Corporation in the 1950's, the only member of the McMahon family currently with the WWE is a Levesque. End of an era.
Since 2006
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January 27, 2024
End Of An Era 2.0
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Labels: Endeavor, Linda McMahon, Shane McMahon, Stephanie McMahon, TKO Group Holdings, Triple H, Vince McMahon, Wrestling History, Wrestling News, WWE
September 12, 2023
Endeavor Announces Close of UFC® And WWE® Transaction To Create TKO Group Holdings, A Premium Sports And Entertainment Company
Endeavor Announces Close of UFC® and WWE® Transaction to Create TKO Group Holdings, a Premium Sports and Entertainment Company
New Company to Begin Trading Today, September 12, on the New York Stock Exchange Under “TKO” Ticker Symbol
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. & STAMFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Endeavor Group Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: EDR) (“Endeavor”) and World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (previously NYSE: WWE) (“WWE”) today announced the close of their previously announced agreement and the launch of TKO Group Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: TKO) (“TKO”).
TKO brings together UFC, the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization, and WWE, an integrated media organization and the recognized global leader in sports entertainment, to create a new premium sports and entertainment company serving more than one billion young and diverse fans1, reaching viewers in 180 countries, and producing more than 350 annual live events. Through this combination, TKO will leverage Endeavor’s expertise in areas including domestic and international media rights, ticket sales and yield optimization, event operations, global partnerships, licensing, and premium hospitality to drive revenue growth.
“The creation of TKO marks an exciting new chapter for UFC and WWE as leaders in global sports and entertainment,” said Ariel Emanuel, CEO of Endeavor and TKO. “Given their continued connectivity to the Endeavor network, we are confident in our ability to accelerate their respective growth and unlock long-term sustainable value for shareholders. With UFC and WWE under one roof, we will provide unrivaled experiences for more than a billion passionate fans worldwide.”
“This is the culmination of a decades-long partnership between Endeavor and WWE across strategic initiatives including talent representation and media rights. Given our collaborative, trusted relationship and Endeavor’s incredible track record of success growing UFC, we believe WWE is optimally positioned for future growth and success as part of TKO,” said Vince McMahon, Executive Chairman of TKO. “Our focus remains on delivering for our fans across the globe as we take the business to the next level alongside UFC and Endeavor.”
TKO will begin trading today on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol “TKO,” with Endeavor holding a 51% controlling interest in the new company and existing WWE shareholders holding a 49% interest in the new company, on a fully diluted basis.
As previously announced, TKO is led by:
Ariel Emanuel, Chief Executive Officer, who continues as Chief Executive Officer of Endeavor;
Mark Shapiro, President and Chief Operating Officer, who continues as President and Chief Operating Officer of Endeavor;
Andrew Schleimer, Chief Financial Officer; and
Seth Krauss, Chief Legal Officer, who continues as Chief Legal Officer of Endeavor.
Dana White is now Chief Executive Officer of UFC and Lawrence Epstein remains Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of UFC. Nick Khan continues at WWE in the role of President.
The Board of Directors of TKO is led by Vince McMahon as Executive Chairman of the Board and consists of 11 members, including Mr. Emanuel, Mr. Shapiro, and Mr. Khan, in addition to the following directors:
Peter C.B. Bynoe, Senior Advisor at DLA Piper LLP;
Egon P. Durban, Co-Chief Executive Officer of Silver Lake;
Steven R. Koonin, Chief Executive Officer of the Atlanta Hawks, LLC;
Jonathan A. Kraft, President of the Kraft Group LLC;
Sonya E. Medina, President and Chief Executive Officer of Reach Resilience;
Nancy R. Tellem, Executive Chairperson and Chief Media Officer of Eko; and
Carrie Wheeler, Chief Executive Officer and a board member of Opendoor Technologies Inc.
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Labels: Endeavor, Linda McMahon, Shane McMahon, Stephanie McMahon, TKO Group Holdings, Triple H, UFC, Vince McMahon, Wrestling History, Wrestling News, WWE
September 11, 2023
End Of An Era
Tonight's WWE Raw will be the last WWE show under the full majority control of Vince McMahon. End of an era.
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Labels: Endeavor, Linda McMahon, Raw, Shane McMahon, Stephanie McMahon, TKO Group Holdings, Triple H, UFC, Vince McMahon, Wrestling History, Wrestling News, WWE
August 11, 2023
Details On Endeavor Deal, WWE-UFC Merger And Plans For NXT
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Labels: Endeavor, Linda McMahon, Shane McMahon, Stephanie McMahon, Television Ratings, TKO Group Holdings, Triple H, UFC, Vince McMahon, WWE, WWE NXT
July 30, 2022
Linda McMahon Responds To Reporter About Vince Mcmahon’s Retirement
Outkick is reporting that during the America First Policy Institute’s conference, Linda McMahon was asked by a reporter about her husband Vince McMahon retiring from WWE and what she thought.
Linda at first refused to comment, but then followed up with a brief statement saying, "You know what, he’ll just be deciding on how he’s going to spend his free time. I think that’s a good thing."
Vince’s daughter Stephanie McMahon and Nick Khan were named co-CEOs of WWE following his departure.
July 8, 2022
Vince McMahon Agreed to Pay $12 Million in Hush Money to Four Women
World Wrestling Entertainment Inc.’s longtime leader, agreed to pay more than $12 million over the past 16 years to suppress allegations of sexual misconduct and infidelity, an amount far larger than previously known. The payouts went to four women, all formerly affiliated with WWE who signed agreements with Mr. McMahon that prohibit them from discussing potential legal claims against or their relationships with the 76-year-old executive, according to people familiar with the deals as well as documents reviewed by The Wall Street Journal.
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Labels: John Laurinaitis, Linda McMahon, Stephanie McMahon, Vince McMahon, Wrestling News, WWE
September 1, 2021
Linda McMahon Named Chairman of the Center for the American Woman
May 8, 2021
How Much of the WWE do Vince, Linda, Shane, Stephanie and Triple H Own in 2021?
Brandon Thurston of Wrestlenomics.com revealed information about WWE’s shareholders. According to him, the McMahons own class B shares, which give them ten times more voting power than other shareholders. These class B shares can only be transferred to Vince and Linda McMahon’s descendants, i.e. Stephanie and Shane McMahon.
Paul Levesque, Vince’s son-in-law, owns 67,571 class A shares, valued at $3.7 million. These class A shares aren’t like class B, which the McMahons own.
What is shocking is Shane McMahon used to own over a million class B shares but hasn’t been listed as a shareholder since 2013. Rumour has it that he sold his stock a while ago.
According to Thurston’s assessment, Vince owns 38% of the shares and 81% of the voting units. Other major shareholders include Lindsell Train Limited, The Vanguard Group, Stephanie McMahon, and Linda McMahon.
From WWE's 2021 Proxy Statement:
SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT.
The following table sets forth certain information known to us with respect to beneficial ownership of our Common Stock as of March 30, 2021 by (1) each stockholder known by us to be the beneficial owner of more than five percent of either Class A common stock or Class B common stock; (2) each of the Directors and named executive officers; and (3) the Directors and executive officers as a group.
Class B1 Vince McMahon 92.3%
Class B1 Linda McMahon 1.0%
Class B1 Stephanie McMahon 6.0
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Labels: Linda McMahon, Shane McMahon, Stephanie McMahon, Triple H, Vince McMahon, WWE
April 14, 2020
Sheriff's Deputies Called To The WWE PC Over COVID-19 Order, Order Linked To Trump Super PAC?
The Orange County Sheriff's Department reportedly visited the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, FL several times over the last few weeks, in March and April, to tell the company that it was not in compliance with the "stay-at-home" Executive Order issued by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, and that they had to shut the tapings down, according to Orlando reporters Jon Alba and Stephanie Coueignoux.
Alba reports that Orange County deputies were called again on Monday regarding the live RAW that aired on the USA Network. However, the new Executive Order from DeSantis, signed on April 9, already allowed for WWE to continue operations as an essential business. There's no word on who was calling the sheriff's department or how many calls they received since March. Coueignoux said deputies told her that on Monday "someone called to say there would be taping at the location that evening" and they responded to the Performance Center again before RAW, but the April 9 order allowed WWE to continue.
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Labels: Linda McMahon, Politics, WWE, WWE Performance Center
January 18, 2020
Jim Ross Discusses Shane McMahon Leaving WWE In 2009, How Vince McMahon Felt Stephanie Was More Like Him Than Shane
On the latest edition of Grilling JR, Jim Ross discussed Shane McMahon’s resignation from WWE in 2009, reportedly because he felt passed over for power and humiliated by his father, Vince McMahon. Highlights are below.
On Shane McMahon feeling like he was not going to be the heir apparent to takeover WWE: “I never thought Shane would leave, but I also never thought Shane was going to be the heir apparent. And I think at some point around this time is where Shane realized that Vince was going to go another direction as his successor and that was in his daughter, it was Triple H, Paul Leveque was going to be the guy, he still is going to be the guy. But I didn’t know drastic times would take these drastic measures whereby Shane would be leaving his birthright, be leaving the family company, to go out on his own. I think at the end of the day, folks, all Shane McMahon wanted to do was make his dad proud in the family business, and it seemed, in Shane’s view, that that opportunity was never going to exist.”
On his talk with Shane about him leaving WWE: “He came to my office and we talked because we were friends, and he understood my, I had some of those same trepidations. I got tired of some of those things that he was experiencing, just took it as a part, but I wasn’t Vince’s son, I wasn’t in the hunt, or the discussion, of being in that heirachy, which was fine with me, I was making plenty of money and I had my gig and I was happy with it. Shane had a whole different ballgame than anyone could experience. The only son of Vince McMahon felt like he wasn’t going to be able to succeed his father, and that’s what he wanted to do.”
On how Vince thought Stephanie was more like him than Shane: “Vince told me one time, Vince loved both of his kids, still does, great grandchildren, Stephanie’s got all girls, Shane’s got all boys, it’s a great situation, but the bottomline is, Vince told me one time, ‘The girl is more like me than the boy.’ I don’t know how we got in the conversation but Vince always saw that Stephanie had that eye of the tiger, very aggressive, sometimes hyper aggressive in the eyes of some I’m sure, but that’s what he wanted. He wanted controversy, he wanted strong leadership. He wanted impactful players in that role, and he thought Stephanie had more of Vince’s personality than did Shane, and Shane was more like Linda.”
credit: Grilling JR and 411mania
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Labels: Linda McMahon, Shane McMahon, Stephanie McMahon, Triple H, Vince McMahon, WWE
September 7, 2019
Linda McMahon Donates Big Money To Donald Trump's 2020 Presidential Re-Election Campaign
Former WWE CEO Linda McMahon has donated a total of $366,200 to the 2020 Presidential re-election campaign for Donald Trump, according to data from the Federal Election Commission.
Three different payments were made on June 3 of this year. One donation was made to the Trump Victory PAC based in Massachusetts, for the amount of $360,600. Linda then made two donations of $2,800 each, for a total of $5,600, to Donald J. Trump For President, Inc., which is his Presidential re-election campaign.
The donations were made through Linda's LLC, McMahon Ventures, and were her first political donations since November 2016.
Trump, who was inducted into the Celebrity Wing of the WWE Hall of Fame in 2013, appointed Linda as the Administrator of the Small Business Administration back in 2016. She stepped down from the role at the end of March 2019. It was reported then that Linda was planning on helping with Trump's 2020 re-election campaign. CBS reported at the time that Linda would be working for America First Action, a pro-Trump Super PAC.
FEC data shows that Linda is the Chair of that America First Action Super PAC, and made a donation of $1 million back on May 28.
August 1, 2019
More Details On Triple H's 50th Birthday Bash
WWE's Executive Vice President of Talent, Live Events and Creative Triple H celebrated his 50th birthday with a big bash in New Hampshire this past weekend.
Sean "X-Pac" Waltman, who was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame with Triple H and the rest of DX earlier this year, spoke about the birthday party in the latest episode of his X-Pac 12-360 podcast, seen above.
Waltman noted that he flew on Friday from Los Angeles into a quiet, beautiful town in New Hampshire, one of the most beautiful places he's ever seen, but he wouldn't give the name of the town. The birthday guests were housed a hotel on the lake, which had around 40 rooms. Waltman said the party was somewhat intimate with maybe 50 people in attendance, but not many more than 50. He believed a lot of people got their feelings hurt because they weren't invited. The party was so big that they had itineraries for the guests with everything laid out.
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Labels: Celebrity, Kevin Nash, Levesque Family News, Linda McMahon, Ric Flair, Sean Waltman, Shawn Michaels, Stephanie McMahon, Triple H, Vince McMahon
March 29, 2019
Linda McMahon To Step Down From Small Business Administration, Reportedly Raising Funds For Trump
Former WWE CEO Linda McMahon is expected to announce later today that she is stepping down as the head of the Small Business Administration.
Linda is expected to rejoin the private sector, according to Politico. Her exact plans are unclear, but a source close to Linda said she plans on playing a fundraising role for President Donald Trump's 2020 re-election campaign. Linda was expected to join Trump at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida this weekend.
Trump named McMahon as the head of his SBA back in December 2016. Trump administration officials have long seen Linda as a leading contender to replace Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross when he eventually steps down, but that won't be happening.
December 21, 2018
How Did $5 Million Of Vince McMahon's Money Wind Up In The Trump Foundation?
November 10, 2018
Rumor Mill - Linda McMahon Reportedly Top Candidate for Promotion Within Trump Administration
WWE continues to make a strange amount of geopolitical headlines in 2018 as Linda McMahon is rumored for a bigger role in President Trump's cabinet.
We typically deal in wrestling rumors but turns out political rumors read the exact same. In a report from Politico, McMahon — who's currently running the Small Business Administration —may replace current Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross if he leaves the position.
“The leading candidate to replace Ross if that happens is now Small Business Administration chief Linda McMahon, according to two sources familiar with the discussions. McMahon has made clear she is interested in the position and would accept it if it is offered, according to a source familiar with the conversations.”
“Whether Ross stays or goes will depend on the extent to which newly empowered Democrats in the House decide to probe the Commerce secretary’s finances and questions about his divestment of assets, a White House official said. If Democrats decide to press those issues, Ross could have a harder time staying.”
According to Politico's sources, McMahon is said to be interested in the role and would accept the promotion if it came her way.
President Trump and the McMahons have a relationship dating back to the 80's. Trump was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2013 and his connection to the McMahons has become his administration's most innocent subplot. Vince and Linda McMahon were active supporters of Trump's campaign, contributing millions to pro-Trump Super PACs.
Unlike Trump and the rest of his troops, McMahon rarely makes headlines which could make her potential promotion one of the Trump Administrations least controversial decisions.
However, WWE found itself in the thick of political drama ahead of it's latest trip to Saudi Arabia. After the death of Jamal Khashoggi, many American entities froze or severed their relationship with the Saudis. But despite waves of criticism from fans, the media, and even US Senators, WWE pressed forward with Saudi event, Crown Jewel.
McMahon was asked about WWE's tenacity regarding their relationship with Saudi Arabia, but she gracefully passed the buck to her husband and WWE patriarch Vince McMahon.
Vince McMahon didn't have much to say about WWE's choice to press forward with Crown Jewel, but WWE did release this statement during their Q3 earnings report.
“WWE has operated in the Middle East for nearly 20 years and has developed a sizable and dedicated fan base. Considering the heinous crime committed at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, the Company faced a very difficult decision as it relates to its event scheduled for November 2 in Riyadh.
Similar to other U.S.-based companies who plan to continue operations in Saudi Arabia, the Company has decided to uphold its contractual obligations to the General Sports Authority and stage the event. Full-year 2018 guidance is predicated on the staging of the Riyadh event as scheduled.”
Outside of the family business having active ties to a contentious Saudi regime, Linda McMahon's still remains one of Trump's most palatable appointments.
October 30, 2018
Linda McMahon Asked About WWE Crown Jewel In Saudi Arabia, If She Talks WWE With President Trump
Former WWE COO Linda McMahon recently spoke with TMZ Sports and said she's not responsible for WWE business when asked about the decision to move forward with Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia, despite the recent state-sponsored killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
"If you want to talk WWE, you're talking to the wrong McMahon," Linda said.
TMZ pointed out how WWE is essentially a family-run business but Linda referred them to husband Vince McMahon.
"I don't run it and I'm not responsible for it," Linda said. "You gotta talk to Vince."
Linda, who now works as the Administrator of the Small Business Administration, was also asked if she ever talks WWE with her new boss, President Trump, considering he's in the WWE Hall of Fame.
She said, "I talked to the President last about my trip going down to Panama City, which is where we're going to see what relief we can get for the folks down there."
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Labels: Linda McMahon, Politics, Vince McMahon, WWE, WWE Crown Jewel
October 12, 2018
Senators Urge WWE To Hold Off Crown Jewel Event In Saudi Arabia
As a part of Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman's Saudi Vision 2030 plan, WWE agreed to hold multiple events in Saudi Arabia, including the upcoming WWE Crown Jewelevent on November 2. An event that is going to bring Shawn Michaels out of retirement, to team up with Triple H against The Undertakerand Kane. Events that have unfolded over the past week have now thrown those plans into jeopardy.
On October 2, Washington Post journalist and Saudi national Jamal Khashoggi disappeared from the Saudi consulate in Turkey. Intelligencereports have since indicated that Khashoggi was killed, in what was possibly a state-ordered kidnapping gone wrong. With Jamal being a United States resident, the incident has resulted in the Democrats and Republicans calling for investigation into the alleged murder, while the President of the United States himself has alluded to the possibility of the Saudi government being involved in Jamal's reported assassination.
Now, multiple Senators are questioning if WWE should still hold the upcoming November show in light of recent events. "I'd hope that they would be rethinking their relationship with the kingdom, especially with respect to events coming up in the next weeks like [WWE Crown Jewel]." Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) told IJR.com.
Sen. Lindsey Graham responded, "there should be a pause," when asked by IJR about WWE working with the kingdom.
Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) pointed to the connection Linda McMahon has in the president's cabinet (Small Business Administrator) and felt President Donald Trumpshould possibly ask WWE to hold off on Crown Jewel.
"Private enterprise is private enterprise, different than a governmental entity," Menendez said. "But because [Linda McMahon] is part of the president's cabinet, it falls into the grey area where the administration really should give it some thought and maybe even prevail upon them not doing it."
September 6, 2018
There's a WWE oral history coming -- and Vince McMahon is involved
The stories of Vince McMahon and the WWE have been told from a variety of different perspectives over the years, but there hasn't been a singular, unfiltered, comprehensive look at the origins of the man or the company he built that included Vince's voice -- until now.
Journalists Craig Marks and Rob Tannenbaum, the authors of "I Want My MTV: The Uncensored Story of the Music Video Revolution," are set to write the definitive oral history of the WWE and the man who took professional wrestling into the mainstream and created an empire that continues to grow to this day.
The involvement and commitment of Vince McMahon and his entire family was the final push that made this long-discussed project into a reality.
"I think that that was one of the negotiating points where the WWE knew that we were serious about writing a no-holds-barred book," said Tannenbaum, in an interview with ESPN.com. "Sometimes when you're trying to sell someone on an idea they're reticent about, you underplay what you're asking for. Craig and I, I think if anything, overplayed what we were asking for.
"We made it clear that we wanted access to Vince and to the entire McMahon family," Tannenbaum continued. "And that what we wanted was not a 15-minute phoner. We were going to need an ample amount of his time which in some ways is a dumb thing to ask for, because he's got a lot better things to do than talk to two geeks about the history of the WWE."
Though Vince McMahon rarely does interviews these days, his blessing and willing involvement separate this project from everything that's come before it.
"This will be an unapologetic look at the good, the bad and the ugly, and the journey that made WWE into the global phenomenon it is today," said Vince McMahon, WWE Chairman and CEO, said via a news release Thursday.
October 2, 2017
Shane McMahon Invested In Legal Marijuana Company
The New York Daily News wrote an article onShane McMahon investing $500,000 back in 2015 in a company called EnviroGrow that builds modules to assist in the growth of marijuana. The company sells their product only in states where the drug is legal for either medical or recreational use. The article also talked about Linda McMahon being include in the current administration's cabinet, and how Shane's investment is in contrast to the Attorney General Jeff Sessions' hard line stance against the drug.
News of this investment was revealed due to Shane filing a lawsuit last year to recoup his money. After making a visit to the company's production plant, he found it to be "nonexistent," and the owner of EnviroGrow refused to return Shane's investment.
February 15, 2017
The McMahons and The Levesques in the Oval Office
“Stone Cold” Steve Austin has stunned 46 percent of the people in this photo, including the president. pic.twitter.com/GKkz0cjB5d
— Dan McQuade (@dhm) February 15, 2017