Vince McMahon, one of the most powerful figures in professional wrestling history, transformed WWE from a regional promotion into a global entertainment brand. Yet, his exodus from WWE was a dramatic twist in his career and image before the general audience.The long-time planner of WWE, Vine founder and CEO Vince McMahon, officially ended his professional relationship with the company in January 2024 after resigning as CEO of TKO Group Holdings. Previously, the overriding decision-making power in the business of sports entertainment, McMahon has since turned his gaze to the arena of private investments and, at the same time, has had to contend with some legal issues that continue to define the popular debate concerning his legacy.In February 2026, new rumours indicate that Vince McMahon could be making a dramatic comeback, trying to repurchase WWE from the TKO Group Holdings. These reports indicate that McMahon is currently holding preliminary talks with Saudi Arabian investors that would have the capability of funding a multi-billion-dollar acquisition. The supposed aim would also be to privatise WWE once again to resume a majority stake and bring the company out of its present publicly traded form under TKO.
Lawsuits and investigations by the government
As of early 2026, McMahon remains under serious legal scrutiny. It is facing a federal investigation into the charges of sex trafficking and sexual misconduct. Although there have been reported cases of past criminal investigations involving the use of hush money, those investigations did not lead to any charges; however, the larger federal investigations are still ongoing.In January 2025, he settled with the SEC and was fined $1.7 million for accusations that he did not disclose between $20 million and $30 million of unrecorded expenses to the WWE board. He neither accepted nor rejected the findings as part of the settlement agreement.Other lawsuits involve a shareholder action against him purporting that he arranged the TKO merger to retain a personal position, and a second case brought by former ring boys who allege to have been abused in the past. All these have been a permanent blow to his reputation and corporate status.
Corporate relationships, equity value, and popularity
McMahon is still one of the richest people in the history of sports entertainment. He has since cashed out over $2 billion in TKO stock since the end of 2023. His shareholding interests were now said to have fallen to about 3.25 per cent by mid-2025, and he no longer had a voting stake in the company. Although legally costly, Forbes projected his net worth to be around $3 billion in the year 2025.McMahon established his investment company, 14th and I, at the end of 2024 in Stamford and is specialising in sports, media, and entertainment projects. Its chief is ex-WWE executive Brad Blum, indicating that McMahon remains interested in high-level dealmaking outside the arena of WWE.
