Here’s what you need to know about the ex-WWE boss – and his fall from grace.

Vince McMahon’s sexual misconduct allegations

McMahon resigned as executive chairman of TKO Holdings, the parent company of WWE, in January following a lawsuit accusing him of sexual assault and trafficking.

But it’s not the first time he has faced such claims. In 2022, he stepped down as WWE chairman during internal investigations into a US$3 million settlement for an alleged affair, reports Wall Street Journal. He was later revealed to have paid out US$12 million to four women over 16 years to cover up “sexual misconduct and infidelity”, per the same source.

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According to Vulture, in 2023, McMahon replaced the board members who had him investigated in 2022. Then the merger between the WWE and UFC saw him become executive chairman of the new company.

McMahon eventually landed at the centre of even more legal trouble, however. He was late on a payment for an employee who had reached a settlement with him, so she filed a lawsuit against him. This came just before the Royal Rumble, one of the WWE’s biggest events. While McMahon said he would defend himself, major sponsor Slim Jim decided to pause sponsorship of the Rumble. McMahon resigned just a few hours later. There’s been speculation that his supposed “resignation” was just lip service though, with some commentators insisting McMahon is still running the show from behind the scenes.

From trailer park kid to billionaire

McMahon is worth an estimated US$2.7 billion, according to Forbes. He has been widely credited for orchestrating the US$9.3 billion deal that saw Endeavor acquire WWE, and the subsequent merger with UFC to form a new company, TKO Holdings.

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While wealth has not always been in his life, wrestling has. Per Forbes, McMahon grew up in a trailer park in North Carolina. His father Vincent James McMahon was a well-known wrestling promoter, but Vince Jr only met him at age 12.

McMahon studied business administration at East Carolina University, per The Sportster, before joining his father’s small wrestling company in 1972. A decade later, he bought the company from his father and transformed WWE from a small-scale regional operation to a global powerhouse.

The villainous Mr. McMahon persona

While McMahon worked behind the scenes in his company, he also remained in the public eye as a lead play-by-play announcer.

Per The Spectator, he created the villainous character of Mr. McMahon for his matches, impressing fans with his physique when he stepped into the ring to fight during the WWE’s Ruthless Aggressive Era (which McMahon dubbed the time period from 2002-2008). He sometimes shouted the Donald Trump-like catchphrase, “You’re fired!” Some of his more well-known matches were against Shawn Michaels and Triple H, his now son-in-law.

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He was featured on the cover of Muscle & Fitness in 2006, at 60 years old, and again in 2015, when he was 69.

The Donald Trump connection

Vince met his wife Linda at age 16 at a church, per Essentially Sports. They got married in 1966 and have two children together.

Linda has been credited as the co-founder of WWE with her husband, and was the CEO from 1997 to 2009.

In 2007, Trump appeared on WWE in a fight billed the “battle of billionaires”. Trump and McMahon faced off at WWE’s WrestleMania 23, with each sending a proxy fighter to represent themselves. Trump won with his partner Bobby Lashley – and reached for the clipper to shave off McMahon’s hair, which was the agreed-upon penalty for losing the match.

There is much speculation online over whether Linda and Vince are still together after Vince’s sexual misconduct came to light. Sportskeeda reports that they are separated, not officially divorced.

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