The McMahon family (/məkˈmæn/) is an Irish-American family known for their ownership of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). Vince McMahon, a third-generation wrestling promoter, was the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of WWE from 1982 until 2023.[1] Shane McMahon is a fourth generation wrestling promoter.
In April 2023, Vince McMahon sold WWE to Endeavor, the parent company of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). The sale was finalized in September 2023, resulting in the merger of WWE and UFC into TKO Group Holdings. Vince McMahon retired in January 2024 during an ongoing sex trafficking scandal.[2] The McMahon family has also branched out into movie production and American football through the XFL.
The family's wrestling business started in 1915 when Jess McMahon (1882-1953), a descendant of the Thomond McMahon clan in Western Ireland,[3] started promoting wrestling events. In 1953, Jess and his son, Vincent J. McMahon, founded the Capitol Wrestling Corporation, later renamed the World Wide Wrestling Federation, and then the World Wrestling Federation.[3]
Vince J. McMahon Sr. married twice, first to Victoria Askew and then to Juanita Johnston.[4][5][6] Upon his retirement in 1982, his son from his first marriage, Vince McMahon Jr., took over the business. Vince McMahon Jr. served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the company until July 2022, when he retired during a sex scandal investigation.[7] On January 10, 2023 Vince McMahon Jr. was re-elected Chairman.[8] The company was renamed World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (WWE) in 2002 and Alpha Entertainment, LLC in 2017.[9][10][11]
Vince and Linda McMahon have two children, Shane and Stephanie.[12] Shane is married to Marissa Mazzola,[13] and Stephanie is married to Paul Levesque, known as Triple H.[12] Stephanie and Paul have three daughters: Aurora Rose, Murphy Claire, and Vaughn Evelyn.[14] Shane and Marissa have three sons: Declan James, Kenyon Jesse, and Rogan Henry.[13]
Linda McMahon stepped down as CEO of WWE to run for the United States Senate in Connecticut. Their son, Shane, left WWE in 2010 to become Chairman and CEO of YOU On Demand Inc., a New York City-based company operating primarily in China. Shane returned to WWE in 2016 as an on-screen talent. Vince, Stephanie, and Shane were the only three members born into the McMahon family working under the brand as of 2021. As of June 2016, the WWE had a market cap of over $1.38 billion.[15]
In December 2016, Linda was nominated to be the Administrator of the Small Business Administration by President Donald Trump, and she held the position from 2017 to 2019.[16]
In January 2023, speculation arose that WWE had been placed for sale.[17] Hours before WrestleMania 39 Night two, CNBC reported via multiple sources that a deal between WWE and Endeavor, the parent company of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), was imminent. The deal involved a merger of WWE with the UFC into a new publicly-traded company, with Endeavor holding a 51% stake.[18] The sale was confirmed the next day, on April 3, 2023. WrestleMania 39 subsequently became the final WrestleMania event under McMahon family ownership, though Vince maintained his position as executive chairman of WWE.[19] The sale was finalized on September 12, with the 2023 Payback being the final major event produced by WWE under the McMahon family ownership. WWE and UFC subsequently became divisions under a new entity called TKO Group Holdings.[20] By early 2024, Vince McMahon (no longer the majority stockholder in WWE) was removed due to a sex trafficking scandal involving a former employee.[21]
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