Vince McMahon Plans Return to WWE McMahon is still the majority owner and reportedly wants to sell the business.

By Steve Huff

Ethan Miller | Getty Images

Former CEO Vince McMahon plans to return to the WWE, but only to sell the business he turned into a global entertainment brand.

The Wall Street Journal reports that McMahon — still WWE's majority stockholder — indicated on Thursday that "he is electing himself and two former co-presidents and directors, Michelle Wilson and George Barrios, to the board." Three of the current directors will reportedly have to leave their positions to make room.

McMahon, age 77, retired in the summer of 2022 amid sexual misconduct allegations. He also allegedly used his own money for $19.6 million in non-disclosure agreement payments then neglected to record those as personal expenses.

This isn't the first time McMahon has tried to return, but the board rejected his previous attempt to take back the reins. ESPN quoted from a statement in which McMahon said the "WWE is entering a critical juncture in its history with the upcoming media rights negotiations coinciding with increased industry-wide demand for quality content and live events and with more companies seeking to own the intellectual property on their platforms."

"My return," he continued, "will allow WWE, as well as any transaction counterparties, to engage in these processes knowing they will have the support of the controlling shareholder."

McMahon's daughter Stephanie McMahon and Nick Khan have served as WWE's co-CEOs since he retired, but he may not have a beef with their leadership as much as he wants a chance to end things with the WWE on his own terms. As the WSJ noted, McMahon has said that his actions in leaving last year were based in part on "bad advice from people close to him ... to step down."

Steve Huff

Entrepreneur Staff

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Buying / Investing in Business

From a $120M Acquisition to a $1.3T Market

Co-ownership is creating big opportunities for entrepreneurs.

Business News

AI Could Cause 99% of All Workers to Be Unemployed in the Next Five Years, Says Computer Science Professor

Professor Roman Yampolskiy predicted that artificial general intelligence would be developed and used by 2030, leading to mass automation.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Buying / Investing in Business

Big Investors Are Betting on This 'Unlisted' Stock

You can join them as an early-stage investor as this company disrupts a $1.3T market.

Leadership

Lead From the Top: 5 Core Responsibilities of a CEO

Knowing exactly what the chief executive's role entails is critical for steering a company to success.