Where Is Vince McMahon Now? All About the Ex-WWE CEO's Life Amid Sexual Assault Allegations

Vince McMahon was a WWE icon before resigning from the company in January 2024 amid sexual abuse allegations

Vince McMahon was the architect of WWE for over four decades, but his reign was mired with serious allegations.

The WWE co-founder is known as one of the most influential figures in wrestling history, helping to launch the careers of many wrestlers including The Undertaker, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, John Cena and Hulk Hogan. However, lines became blurred between his role as the CEO of WWE and the fictionalized power-hungry boss he portrayed as his wrestling character: Mr. McMahon.

In June 2022, The Wall Street Journal revealed that the WWE board was investigating allegations that Vince paid $3 million to a former employee to hide an affair they were having. Less than a month later, The Wall Street Journal reported on records that allegedly showed he had paid over $12 million to employees to keep similar sexual misconduct and infidelity allegations under wraps.

Amidst these reports, Vince retired from being CEO and Chairman of WWE and his daughter Stephanie replaced him, only for Vince to return as executive chairman in January 2023. Things worsened for the business mogul in 2024, as Vince was accused of sex trafficking and sexual assault in a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut and he subsequently resigned from the company.

Vince is now speaking out for the first time since his resignation in the September 2024 Netflix docuseries Mr. McMahon, which covers his rise in shaping the landscape of professional wrestling to his fall and the allegations against him. The series features interviews with Vince, his family, many all-time great wrestlers and the journalists who uncovered his controversies.

Here’s everything to know about the rise and fall of Vince McMahon and where he is today.

Who is Vince McMahon?

Vince began his career as a wrestling commentator before purchasing the WWE — then known as the WWF — from his father in 1982 and turning it into wrestling’s premiere sports entertainment empire. Vince was largely responsible for the rise of wrestling in the 1980s, making Hulk Hogan the face of the company and creating the wrestling spectacle, WrestleMania.

Vince transitioned the WWE into the "Attitude Era" in the 1990s, which saw the rise of superstars including The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Undertaker, Joanie “Chyna” Laurer, Shawn Michaels and Triple H. This was also the era in which Vince’s character Mr. McMahon debuted, who feuded with Austin, won a WWE Championship and won the Royal Rumble.

He then transitioned the WWE into the “Ruthless Aggression era" in the 2000s where he developed stars like John Cena, Randy Orton, Trish Stratus, Brock Lesnar and Dave “Batista” Bautista. Approaching his fourth decade at the helm, Vince transitioned the company once again, moving into the “PG era” during the 2010s, developing stars like Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Becky Lynch, Bray Wyatt and Cody Rhodes.

Vince continued to grow WWE as he changed the professional wrestling landscape from multiple companies to a near-monopoly.

Who is Mr. McMahon?

While Vince was the businessman who launched wrestling careers and built the WWE into what it is today, Mr. McMahon was a fictionalized version of himself involved in WWE storylines.

From his feuds with Austin to making wrestlers join his “kiss my a-- club,” in which they were forced to kiss Vince’s bare butt on air, Mr. McMahon would go to any length to exert power. He was also known for constantly "firing" people.

Mr. McMahon took part in many matches, including a WrestleMania 22 ladder match with Shawn Michaels — which saw Vince receive a flying elbow drop through a table — and receiving Austin’s finishing move — the Stone Cold Stunner —many times. Mr. McMahon also picked WWE superstar Umaga to represent him against Donald Trump’s representative Bobby Lashley in a “Battle of the Billionaires” at WrestleMania 23, in which Mr. McMahon lost and had to have his head shaved.

“This Mr. McMahon characterization is just his natural personality amplified,” WWE broadcaster Jim Ross said on Grilling with JR in 2021.

Before the release of his Netflix documentary, Vince released a statement calling the series "deceptive" and criticizing it for focusing on the Mr. McMahon character.

"Unfortunately, based on an early partial cut I've seen, this doc falls short and takes the predictable path of conflating the 'Mr. McMahon' character with my true self, Vince," he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Is Vince McMahon’s family still involved in the WWE?

The WWE was always a McMahon family affair during his tenure, but certain family members have remained active in the brand after his departure.

Vince’s wife Linda co-founded the company with him, serving as co-CEO until she left to run for a seat on the United States Senate in 2009. She was also involved in a fictional feud with Mr. McMahon.

Vince’s son Shane was involved with the company as a wrestler, often a part of his father’s storylines — including a match against Vince at WrestleMania 17 — wrestling the Undertaker at WrestleMania 32 and wrestling his final WWE match at WrestleMania 39 in 2023. Shane also served as an executive vice president of Global Media and a producer during his tenure before his contract expired and wasn’t renewed in 2024 after Vince resigned.

Vince’s daughter Stephanie has been involved with the company as a wrestler, wrestling Vince and winning the Women’s Championship. In a business capacity, she has worked as the company’s head writer, director of creative writing and as chief brand officer.

In 2022, after her father’s retirement, she became the chairwoman and co-CEO of WWE. Upon her father’s return, Stephanie subsequently resigned in 2023.

After a scripted romance between Stephanie and Triple H began in 2000, the two married in real life in 2003. Triple H has now taken a role similar to Vince as the chief content officer and head of creative, publicly introducing WrestleMania 40 — the first without Vince — as a new era.

What was Vince McMahon accused of during his WWE tenure?

Lawsuits against Vince may have reached a new boiling point in 2022, but allegations against him began piling up long before then. In 1992, Vince was accused of raping WWE’s first female referee, Rita Chatterton, who officially filed a lawsuit against Vince in December 2022. The wrestling executive denied raping her, and the lawsuit resulted in a multi-million dollar settlement.

In 1993, Vince received a federal indictment for allegedly supplying steroids to wrestlers in the infamous United States vs. McMahon trial. The charges were ultimately dismissed against Vince, but WWE ringside doctor Dr. George Zahorian III was sentenced to three years in prison for distributing steroids to many wrestlers.

In 2006, Vince faced a sexual harassment accusation from a tanning bar employee in Boca Raton, Fla., with no charges being filed after the investigation. In 2011, a separate spa worker accused Vince of sexual assault in California.

Why did Vince McMahon resign?

In June 2022, The Wall Street Journal alleged that Vince had paid $3 million to a female paralegal under his employment. The outlet claimed that Vince began a sexual relationship with the paralegal, at which time he doubled her salary, but she left the company after becoming "scared” following the payments to stay quiet.

A spokesperson for the company told WSJ that the relationship between McMahon and the now-former employee was consensual. "I have pledged my complete cooperation to the investigation by the Special Committee, and I will do everything possible to support the investigation," Vince said in a statement at the time. "I have also pledged to accept the findings and outcome of the investigation, whatever they are."

Less than a month later, The Wall Street Journal claimed that Vince had paid $12 million to hide allegations of “sexual misconduct and infidelity” over the prior 16 years. The payments were allegedly made to four women who were formerly affiliated with the company, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing sources familiar with the agreements.

Vince briefly retired as chairman and CEO of WWE in July 2022 amidst the allegations, only to return as executive chairman in 2023. Later that year, WWE merged with Zuffa — the parent company of the UFC — to put both companies under a new conglomerate called TKO, with the agreement that Vince would stay on in his leadership role.

In January 2024, Vince’s former employee Janel Grant sued Vince and former senior vice president of talent relations John Laurinaitis, claiming that she experienced “physical and emotional abuse, sexual assault and trafficking” while working at the company between 2019 and 2022. Amidst evidence, including text messages between Vince and Grant, the wrestling executive shared a statement announcing his resignation and denying the allegations.

“I intend to vigorously defend myself against these baseless accusations and look forward to clearing my name,” Vince shared in a statement. “However, out of respect for the WWE Universe, the extraordinary TKO business ... and all of the employees and Superstars who helped make WWE into the global leader it is today, I have decided to resign from my executive chairmanship and the TKO board of directors, effective immediately.”

In May 2024, Grant agreed to a six-month pause in her case to allow the federal investigation into Vince to continue.

What is Mr. McMahon about?

In Netflix’s September 2024 Mr. McMahon documentary — created by Tiger King director Chris Smith and executive produced by The Ringer’s Bill Simmons — Vince’s tenure as CEO of WWE is covered in detail, featuring interviews with wrestlers whose careers he helped kickstart, including Cena, The Rock, Austin, Hogan, Triple H and Vince himself. The documentary covers Vince’s history with the company, including his resignation from WWE after facing a myriad of sexual misconduct allegations.

Production on the documentary began two years before the investigation into Vince paying $3 million in hush money and features many interviews with Vince. In a message posted on X a day before the Netflix series premiered, Vince bemoaned the creators' covering the allegations against him.

"In an attempt to further their misleading account, the producers use a lawsuit based on an affair that I ended as evidence that I am in fact 'Mr. McMahon,' " he wrote.

Grant's lawyer, Ann Callis, quickly responded, pushing back against Vince's downplaying of what she and her client describe as serious abuse.

"Vince McMahon physically and emotionally abused, sexually assaulted and human trafficked Janel Grant for more than two years. Calling his horrific and criminal behavior 'an affair' is delusional and nothing more than a sad attempt to save his shredded reputation," she claims in a statement. "Although Ms. Grant has not seen the 'Mr. McMahon' docuseries, we hope it shines a bright light on his abhorrent and criminal actions ... Ms. Grant will no longer be silenced by McMahon."

Where is Vince McMahon now?

In April 2024, NBC News and CNBC interviewed 11 sources close to Vince about what he has been up to since the allegations and lawsuits as the WWE looks to move on from his era.

After his resignation, Vince sold hundreds of millions of dollars in TKO stock, cutting his financial ties to the company. He also no longer comes to WWE’s offices.

Since resigning, Vince has taken trips to Italy and returned from a trip to Turks and Caicos with seven kittens and a puppy for his friends to adopt. He also continues seeing friends at restaurants, working out regularly and visiting his barber.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.

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