Vincent Kennedy McMahon (/məkˈmæn/ mək-MAN; born August 24, 1945) is an American businessman and former professional wrestling promoter. McMahon, along with his wife Linda, is a co-founder of the modern WWE,[a] the world’s largest professional wrestling promotion. Outside of professional wrestling McMahon has occasionally ventured into promoting other sports; his projects have included the World Bodybuilding Federation and the XFL football league. He is the owner of Alpha Entertainment.
McMahon graduated from East Carolina University with a degree in business in 1968, and began his tenure in professional wrestling as a commentator for WWE (then called the World Wide Wrestling Federation or WWWF) for most of the 1970s. He bought the company from his father, Vincent J. McMahon, in 1982 and almost monopolized the industry, which previously operated as separate entities across the United States. This led to the development of the annual event WrestleMania, which became one of the world’s most successful professional wrestling events. WWE then faced industry competition from World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in the 1990s before purchasing and absorbing WCW in 2001. WWE also purchased the assets of the defunct Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) in 2003.
McMahon has been involved in a number of WWE-related ventures. In 2014, he launched the WWE Network, a subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. He also owned other WWE multimedia subsidiaries and a professional wrestling training facility. Outside of wrestling, McMahon joint-owned and operated the XFL American football league twice; both the 2001 and 2020 iterations folded after a single season. He also headed the short-lived World Bodybuilding Federation and co-owned the clothing brand Tapout.
McMahon appeared on-screen for WWE from 1969 until the 2020s, initially as a personable play-by-play commentator. In 1997, he adopted the character of Mr. McMahon, portrayed as an irascible, villainous, swaggering tyrant who obsessed over maintaining control of his wrestling company and often growled the catchphrase “you’re fired!” when dismissing an employee.[3] Under the Mr. McMahon gimmick, which is considered by some to be WWE’s greatest villainous character, he competed in wrestling matches and became a one-time WWE Champion, a one-time ECW Champion, a Royal Rumble winner, and a multi-time pay-per-view headliner.
Following claims of hush-money agreements McMahon paid over affairs with former WWE employees,[4] McMahon stepped down as CEO and chairman of WWE in June 2022, pending the conclusion of an internal investigation. He was replaced by his daughter, Stephanie McMahon.[5][6] The following month, McMahon announced his retirement from WWE,[7] but his return to WWE as executive chairman was confirmed in January 2023.[8] That April, a merger was announced between WWE and Endeavor Group Holdings, owner of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) mixed martial arts promotion; McMahon served as the executive chairman of the new merged company, TKO Group Holdings (TKO).[9] McMahon later resigned from TKO in January 2024 after allegations of sex trafficking and sexual assault. McMahon is currently under a federal probe.[10][11]
Early life
McMahon was born in Pinehurst, North Carolina, on August 24, 1945,[12] to Victoria (née Hanner; 1920–2022)[13] and Vincent James McMahon (1914–1984), who left the family when McMahon was still a baby and took McMahon’s older brother Roderick James McMahon III (1943–2021)[14][15] with him. McMahon did not meet his father until the age of 12.[16] McMahon’s paternal grandfather was the boxing promoter Roderick James “Jess” McMahon,[17] whose parents were Irish immigrants from County Galway.[18][19]
His paternal grandmother, Rose Davis, was also of Irish descent.[19] McMahon was raised under the name Vinnie Lupton and spent the majority of his childhood living with his mother and various stepfathers. He later claimed that one of his stepfathers, Leo Lupton, beat his mother and attacked him when he tried to protect her; he said of the experience, “It is unfortunate that [Lupton] died before I could kill him. I would have enjoyed that.”[20] He graduated in 1964 from Fishburne Military School in Waynesboro, Virginia,[21] where he reportedly struggled due to dyslexia.[22]
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