Vince McMahon is an iconic American wrestling promoter, commentator, and businessman. According to Wrestling Army, he has a net worth of $3.2 billion.
McMahon built his fortune as the CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), where he played a pivotal role in its transformation. Prior to WWE’s sale to Endeavor in April 2023 for $9.3 billion, McMahon was the company’s largest individual shareholder. Despite retiring from WWE in 2022 amidst a scandal, he returned in January 2023 as Executive Chairman.
In September 2023, WWE merged with UFC, forming a new company called TKO. McMahon owns 16% of TKO, amounting to approximately 28.84 million shares. At the time of the IPO, TKO’s market capitalization was $14.5 billion, valuing McMahon’s stake at $2.32 billion, which is included in his total net worth. However, Vince stepped down as executive chairman of TKO in January 2024 after facing new allegations.
In April 2023, Endeavor acquired WWE for $9.3 billion. Vince’s 38% stake would have earned him $3.5 billion had the deal been all-cash. The transaction was an all-stock merger, which resulted in TKO. McMahon now owns 34% of TKO and serves on the board of directors. As part of the IPO, Vince received a one-time dividend bonus of $100 million.
When WWE was sold, Vince McMahon owned 28.7 million shares, controlling 80% of WWE’s voting power. These shares accounted for roughly 38% of the company’s total stock. At its peak in April 2019, WWE shares reached $96, which valued McMahon’s stake at $2.76 billion. Following a decline in WWE stock in 2020, his shares were worth $1.2 billion.
In December 2017, Vince McMahon sold 3.34 million WWE shares for about $100 million, which helped fund the re-launch of the XFL football league. During WWE’s peak in 2019, he sold an additional 3.2 million shares for a gain of $272 million. The proceeds from these sales were invested in his venture, Alpha Entertainment, with McMahon planning to invest $500 million into the rebooted XFL.
As of now, Vince McMahon owns 23.4 million shares of TKO, which represents 30% of the company’s equity. In March 2024, McMahon sold 5.4 million shares, earning $400 million before taxes.
Vince McMahon was born on August 24, 1945, in Pinehurst, North Carolina. His father left the family when Vince was a baby, and they did not meet until he was 12. Raised by his mother, McMahon struggled with dyslexia and learning difficulties but graduated from Fishburne Military School in 1964. He went on to earn a business degree from East Carolina University in 1968.
Vince McMahon is best known for transforming WWE, originally founded by his father, into a global entertainment powerhouse. He joined the company in 1971, initially promoting small wrestling shows and doing commentary. After his father’s death in 1984, McMahon took control and built the company into a giant by recruiting wrestling legends like Hulk Hogan. The “Rock & Wrestling Connection” and the first WrestleMania helped establish WWE’s national presence.
Beyond WWE, Vince McMahon has explored various ventures. He has wrestled on occasion and has been awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. His children, Shane and Stephanie McMahon, have been integral to the company, and his wife, Linda, also had a role in WWE. Outside of wrestling, Vince launched the XFL in 2000 and helped create the WWE Network in 2014. He also founded Alpha Entertainment in 2017.
McMahon’s time in the wrestling world was marked by several high-profile feuds. His rivalry with Stone Cold Steve Austin, which began in 1997, became one of the most memorable storylines in WWE history. Another famous feud began in 2007 with Donald Trump, culminating in a wrestling match where Trump’s representative defeated McMahon’s.
Vince McMahon has been married to Linda McMahon since 1966, and they have two children, Shane and Stephanie. The McMahon family resides in a $40 million mansion in Greenwich, Connecticut, close to WWE’s headquarters. Vince has owned several properties, including a $12 million Manhattan penthouse and a luxury yacht named “Sexy Bitch.”
In 2007, Vince McMahon staged his own death as part of a WWE storyline, which drew significant media attention. McMahon is also a known donor to Republican causes, including a $5 million donation to the Donald J. Trump Foundation. Along with his family, McMahon contributed $8 million in grants to several educational institutions and military schools.
Vince McMahon has faced various accusations over the years, including sexual assault in 1992 and harassment in 2006. While no charges were filed in either case, these incidents have added to his controversial reputation.