- This article is about Vince McMahon, Jr. For his father, see Vince McMahon, Sr..
Vincent Kennedy "Vince" McMahon (August 24, 1945) is a former American professional wrestling promoter, announcer, commentator, film producer, actor and occasional professional wrestler. McMahon was the Chairman, CEO and Chairman of the Executive Committee of the professional wrestling promotion World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). Upon acquiring World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), McMahon's WWE became the sole remaining major American professional wrestling promotion (until the national expansion of Total Nonstop Action Wrestling and Ring of Honor).
As an on-camera character, he appeared on all WWE brands (though the majority of the time, he appeared on Raw). McMahon played a character known by the ring name Mr. McMahon, based on his real life persona. In the world of WWE, he is a two-time world champion, having won the WWF Championship and ECW World Championship. He was also the winner of the 1999 Royal Rumble.
Vince is the husband of Linda McMahon, with whom he ran WWE from its establishment in 1980 until she resigned as the CEO in September 2009.
Early life
McMahon was born on August 24, 1945 in Pinehurst, North Carolina. McMahon's father, Vincent James McMahon, had left the family while McMahon was still a baby, taking his elder son, Rod, with him. McMahon did not meet his father until age 12. Vince spent the majority of his childhood living with his mother and a string of stepfathers. According to an interview with Playboy, he attended and graduated, in 1964, from Fishburne Military School in Waynesboro, Virginia. McMahon claimed one of his stepfathers, Leo Lupton, used to beat his mother and attacked him when he tried to protect her. He said, "It is unfortunate that he died before I could kill him. I would have enjoyed that." In his early life, McMahon also overcame dyslexia.
Personal life
Family
McMahon married Linda McMahon on August 26, 1966 in New Bern, North Carolina. The two met in church when Linda was 13 and Vince was 16. At that time McMahon was known as Vince Lupton, using his stepfather's surname. They were introduced by Vince's mother, Vicky H. Lupton (now Vicky H. Askew). They have two children, Shane and Stephanie, both of whom have spent time in the WWF/E both onscreen and behind the scenes. On November 19, 2024 it was reported that Vince and Linda had separated.
McMahon has six grandchildren: Declan James and Kenyon Jesse McMahon and a grandson born in 2010, sons of Shane and his wife Marissa; and Aurora Rose, Murphy Claire & Vaughn Evelyn Levesque, daughters of Stephanie and her husband Paul "Triple H" Levesque.
Wealth
McMahon has a $12 million penthouse in Manhattan, a $40 million mansion in Greenwich, Connecticut, a $20 million vacation home, and a 47-foot sports yacht named Sexy Bitch. Forbes has noted McMahon's wealth at 1.1 billion dollars, backing up the WWE's claim he was a billionaire for the year 2001, although he was reported to have since dropped off the list between 2002 and 2013. In 2014, McMahon returned to the Forbes list, with an estimated net worth of $1.2 billion.
Legal issues
Rita Chatterton (ring name: "Rita Marie") was a former referee who is noted for her stint in the WWF in the 1980s. She is known for being the first ever female referee in the WWF, possibly in pro wrestling history. Her times there, however, were shrouded in controversy, due to sexual harassment charges against owner McMahon. On April 3, 1992, Chatterton made an appearance on Geraldo Rivera's television show Now It Can Be Told alleging that on July 16, 1986 McMahon tried to force her to perform oral sex on him in his limousine and, after her rebuttal, subjected her to rape.
In 1993, he was indicted after a steroid controversy engulfed the promotion. McMahon was put on trial in 1994, accused of distributing steroids to his wrestlers. One former wrestler, Nailz, was called by the prosecution to testify against McMahon, stating that Vince encouraged him to start using steroids. Ultimately, the jury disregarded his testimony after he claimed he hated McMahon. His wife Linda became CEO of the WWF during the trial. He was acquitted of all charges though he admitted to taking steroids himself in the 1980s. The prosecution made Hulk Hogan its star witness, however, when called to testify, Hogan stated that at no time did Vince McMahon ever sell steroids.
On February 1, 2006, McMahon was accused of sexual harassment by a worker at a Boca Raton, Florida tanning bar. At first, the charge appeared to be discredited because McMahon was in Miami for the 2006 Royal Rumble at the time. It was soon clarified that the alleged incident was reported to police on the day of the Rumble, but actually took place the day before. On March 27, a Florida television station reported that no charges would be filed against McMahon as a result of the investigation.
On January 6, 2023 WWE announced McMahon had rejoined their Board of Directors. McMahon had previously retired from WWE on July 22, 2022 amid a board investigation of sexual misconduct and hush money allegations. WWE confirmed the investigation wrapped up in November, 2022. Despite his retirement, McMahon retained majority voting power due to his ownership of WWE Class B stock. This leverage of ownership of WWE Class B stock gave McMahon the ability to return.
On January 26, 2024 WWE announced McMahon resigned as Executive Chairman of TKO Group Holdings, Inc. (TKO) as well as his position on the Board of Directors one day after a lawsuit was filed which accused McMahon of sex trafficking, emotional abuse, and sexual assault.
Wrestling facts
While McMahon usually relies on outside interference to win matches, he has borrowed a number of finishers from his opponent, allies or the wrestler he is in a feud with and usually renames said finishers to tie in with his "evil boss" gimmick.
- Finishing and signature moves
- "McMahon Stunner" (Stunner) – Copied from Stone Cold Steve Austin
- "Corporate Elbow" / "People's Elbow" (Evil Bossman)(Feint leg drop transitioned into a high-impact elbow drop to the chest, with theatrics) – (Copied from The Rock)
- Atomic Leg Drop (Running leg drop) – Copied from Hulk Hogan
- "Pedigree" (Double underhook facebuster) – Copied from Triple H
- Tag teams and stables
- Nicknames
- "The Boss"
- "The Chairman"
- "The Genetic Jackhammer"
- "The Higher Power"
- "Vinnie Mac"
- "The Evil Genius"
- "The Diabolical Owner of the WWF/E"
- "Satan's Role Model"
- "The Battling Boss of the WWE"
- "The God of McMahonism"
- Wrestlers managed
- Entrance music
- "No Chance In Hell" composed by Jim Johnston and performed by Peter Bursuker
Championships and accomplishments
- Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- PWI Feud of the Year (1996) vs. Eric Bischoff
- PWI Feud of the Year (1998, 1999) vs. Steve Austin
- PWI Feud of the Year (2001) vs. Shane McMahon
- PWI Match of the Year (2006)vs. Shawn Michaels in a No Holds Barred match at WrestleMania 22
- PWI Stanley Weston Award (2009)
- World Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Entertainment
- ECW Championship (1 time)
- WWF Championship (1 time)
- Royal Rumble (1999)
- Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
- Best Booker (1987, 1998, 1999)
- Best Non-Wrestler (1999, 2000)
- Best Promoter (1988, 1998–2000)
- Feud of the Year (1998, 1999) vs. "Stone Cold" Steve Austin
- Worst Feud of the Year (2006) with Shane McMahon vs. D-Generation X (Shawn Michaels and Triple H)
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 1996)
- Other accomplishments and honors
- The cover of "Muscle & Fitness" (2006)
- Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Sacred Heart University.
- A star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
| Wager | Winner | Loser | Location | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hair | Donald Trump (represented by Bobby Lashley) |
Mr. McMahon (represented by Umaga) |
Detroit, Michigan | April 1, 2007 | This was the billed as "The Battle of the Billionaires" (WrestleMania 23) |
