Vince McMahon is an American businessman and former professional wrestling promoter, best known as the driving force behind the global success of WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment). He and his wife Linda co-founded the modern WWE, transforming it into a media and entertainment empire. Beyond wrestling, McMahon has explored ventures in other sports, including the World Bodybuilding Federation and the XFL football league, showcasing his entrepreneurial spirit and ambition to diversify into various entertainment sectors. He also owns Alpha Entertainment.
In 1914, Vincent James McMahon, Vince McMahon's father, was born.
In 1920, Victoria (née Hanner), Vince McMahon's mother, was born.
In 1943, Roderick James McMahon III, Vince McMahon's older brother was born.
On August 24, 1945, Vincent Kennedy McMahon was born in Pinehurst, North Carolina. He would later become a prominent businessman and wrestling promoter.
In 1963, the WWF initially split from the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA).
In 1964, McMahon graduated from Fishburne Military School in Waynesboro, Virginia, reportedly struggling due to dyslexia.
On August 26, 1966, Vince McMahon married Linda Edwards in New Bern, North Carolina. They met in church when she was 13 and he was 16.
In 1968, McMahon graduated from East Carolina University with a business degree before pursuing a role in his father's wrestling promotion.
In 1969, McMahon made his debut as a ring announcer for the WWWF's All-Star Wrestling.
In 1969, McMahon made his first on-screen appearance for WWE as a play-by-play commentator.
In 1969, Vince McMahon began appearing on untelevised WWWF events as a ring announcer, marking the start of his on-screen presence in the wrestling world.
In 1971, McMahon was assigned to a small territory in Maine where he promoted his first card. Later in 1971, he became the play-by-play commentator for television matches, replacing Ray Morgan.
In 1971, Vince McMahon made his commentary debut, replacing Ray Morgan after a pay dispute. This opportunity allowed McMahon to appear on television, despite his father's preference for promoters to stay off-screen.
In 1971, the WWF rejoined the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA).
In 1976, McMahon assisted his father with the promotion of the Muhammad Ali versus Antonio Inoki match.
In 1977, Vince McMahon and Arnold Skaaland were struck from behind by Captain Lou Albano on WWF television as part of a kayfabe "Manager Of The Year" storyline.
In 1979, McMahon pushed for the renaming of the company to the World Wrestling Federation (WWF).
In 1979, Vince and Linda McMahon purchased the Cape Cod Coliseum and the Cape Cod Buccaneers of the Atlantic Coast Hockey League, expanding their business interests beyond professional wrestling.
On February 21, 1980, McMahon officially founded Titan Sports, establishing its headquarters in South Yarmouth, Massachusetts.
In 1982, McMahon bought the company from his father, Vincent J. McMahon. This acquisition allowed him to begin monopolizing the wrestling industry.
In 1982, Titan acquired control of the CWC from McMahon's ailing father and his partners, marking a transition in leadership and ownership.
In 1983, the WWF split from the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), a governing body for regional territories, signifying McMahon's intent to operate independently and expand nationally.
In May 1984, McMahon's father, Vincent J. McMahon, passed away.
In 1984, McMahon recruited Hulk Hogan to be the WWF's megastar. McMahon created the Rock 'n' Wrestling Connection by incorporating pop music stars into wrestling storylines.
In 1984, Vincent James McMahon, Vince McMahon's father, passed away.
Since 1984 Vince McMahon maintained his role as the regular play-by-play commentator, portraying himself as mild-mannered and diplomatic.
On March 31, 1985, McMahon ran the first WrestleMania at Madison Square Garden, available on closed-circuit television, revolutionizing professional wrestling events.
In 1985, Andre the Giant grabbed Vince McMahon by the collar during an interview on Tuesday Night Titans, showing his irritation at McMahon's questions regarding his feud with Big John Studd.
In 1986, Vince and Linda McMahon began supporting the Special Olympics, influenced by their friendship with NBC producer Dick Ebersol and Susan Saint James.
In 1987, WWF drew 93,173 fans to the Pontiac Silverdome for WrestleMania III, which featured Hulk Hogan vs. André the Giant.
In 1987, at the Slammy Awards, Vince McMahon performed in a musical number and sang the song "Stand Back."
On the May 26, 1990, episode of WWF Superstars of Wrestling, Vince McMahon was seen screaming at medics and WWF personnel after Hulk Hogan was attacked by Earthquake during a segment of The Brother Love Show, expressing his concern for Hogan's well-being.
In 1990, Vince McMahon founded the World Bodybuilding Federation (WBF) organization.
On the September 28, 1991, episode of WWF Superstars of Wrestling, Roddy Piper mistakenly hit Vince McMahon with a folding chair aimed at Ric Flair, leading to McMahon being taken out of the arena on a stretcher.
In 1992, Vince McMahon's World Bodybuilding Federation (WBF) folded.
On the November 8, 1993, episode of Monday Night Raw, Randy Savage hurled Vince McMahon to the floor in an attempt to attack Crush after McMahon attempted to restrain him.
In 1993, Vince McMahon served as a commentator on Monday Night Raw when the shows initially started.
In 1993, the company entered the New Generation Era, which became one of McMahon's toughest times since taking over due to fluctuating business performance.
On the September 23, 1996, episode of Monday Night Raw, Jim Ross delivered a worked shoot promo, outing Vince McMahon as chairman and not just a commentator for the first time in WWF storylines.
The March 17, 1997, episode of WWF Raw Is War is cited as the beginning of the Mr. McMahon character. After Bret Hart lost to Sycho Sid, he engaged in an expletive-laden rant against McMahon and WWF management after shoving McMahon to the ground when he attempted to conduct a post-match interview. McMahon then nearly cursed out Hart while commentating but was calmed down by Ross and Lawler.
On September 22, 1997, during the first-ever Raw broadcast from Madison Square Garden, Stone Cold Steve Austin interrupted Owen Hart's speech and assaulted him. When Austin appeared ready to fight the NYPD officers who intervened, Vince McMahon entered the ring to lecture him, resulting in Austin attacking McMahon with a Stone Cold Stunner and getting arrested. This September 22, 1997 incident marked the beginning of the Austin-McMahon rivalry.
In November 1997, McMahon regularly maintained his play-by-play commentator role.
In 1997, McMahon adopted the character of Mr. McMahon, a villainous tyrant obsessed with control of WWE.
In 1997, McMahon cemented the WWF as the preeminent wrestling promotion by initiating a brand strategy that eventually returned the WWF to prominence. The concept became known as "WWF Attitude" and McMahon commenced the new era when manipulating the WWF Championship away from Bret Hart at Survivor Series.
In 1997, the Montreal Screwjob occurred at Survivor Series, a controversial event involving Bret Hart.
On January 11, 1999, Vince McMahon participated in a "Corporate Rumble" on Raw as an unscheduled participant, but was eliminated by Chyna.
On June 24, 1999, McMahon appeared on the Late Night with Conan O'Brien show and referred to Ted Turner as his rival.
In October 1999, McMahon led the WWF in an initial public offering of company stock, marking a significant financial milestone.
On the March 13, 2000, Raw Is War, Vince McMahon returned to WWF television, assisting The Rock in regaining his WWF title shot from the Big Show and attacking Shane McMahon and Triple H.
In 2000, Vince McMahon ventured outside professional wrestling and launched the XFL, a professional American football league.
In February 2001, the XFL league, founded by Vince McMahon, began its operations, with McMahon himself making an appearance at the inaugural game.
On February 26, 2001, Vince McMahon and his daughter Stephanie humiliated Trish Stratus on Raw by dumping sewage on her. McMahon declared Stephanie as "daddy's little girl" and Trish as "daddy's little toy". The McMahons then aligned together against Shane. This was on the February 26, 2001 edition of Raw.
On March 23, 2001, McMahon acquired World Championship Wrestling (WCW) from Turner Broadcasting System, ending the Monday Night War.
On April 1, 2001, Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) filed for bankruptcy, leaving WWF as the last major wrestling promotion.
In 2001, Vince McMahon acquired World Championship Wrestling (WCW) from AOL Time Warner, expanding WWE's dominance in the professional wrestling industry.
In 2001, WCW's demise allowed WWE to shift its strategy away from the intense competition of the Attitude Era, focusing on a more sophisticated and scripted approach, according to Vince McMahon.
In 2001, WWE purchased and absorbed World Championship Wrestling (WCW), marking a significant consolidation in the professional wrestling industry.
On January 20, 2002, at the Royal Rumble, Vince McMahon faced Ric Flair in a Street Fight, which Flair won. This stems from Flair declaring himself co-owner of the WWF, infuriating McMahon.
On May 5, 2002, World Wrestling Federation Entertainment, Inc. announced that it would be changing its name to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) following a lawsuit initiated by the World Wildlife Fund.
On June 24, 2002, WWE officially named its new era as the "Ruthless Aggression Era." This era maintained many elements of the previous Attitude Era but reduced politically incorrect content while increasing the emphasis on wrestling.
On January 28, 2003, McMahon acquired the assets of Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) after the company declared bankruptcy.
On February 13, 2003, on SmackDown!, Vince McMahon attempted to disrupt Hulk Hogan's return after a five-month break but was knocked out by Hogan with a running leg drop.
In 2003, WWE purchased the assets of the defunct Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), further expanding its control over the professional wrestling landscape.
On December 26, 2005, Vince McMahon personally reviewed Bret Hart's DVD on Raw. Shawn Michaels appeared, leading to McMahon warning Michaels, "I screwed Bret Hart. Shawn, don't make me screw you."
On February 1, 2006, McMahon was accused by a worker at a tanning bar in Boca Raton, Florida, of sexual harassment. The worker alleged that McMahon showed her nude photos of himself and also groped and attempted to kiss her. The incident was reported to police on February 1, 2006.
In 2006, Vince McMahon feuded with D-Generation X (DX). Along with Shane and the Spirit Squad, McMahon lost to Eugene on July 10. At SummerSlam in 2006, the McMahons were defeated by DX in a tag team match. At Unforgiven, the McMahons teamed with The Big Show in a Hell in a Cell match against DX but lost, ending the rivalry.
In 2006, Vince and Linda McMahon paid $2.5 million for the construction of a tennis facility in Ebensburg, Pennsylvania.
In 2006, the McMahon DVD was released, which included the campy "Stand Back" video.
In January 2007, Vince McMahon began a feud with Donald Trump, culminating in a Hair vs. Hair match at WrestleMania 23. Trump's representative won, leading to McMahon's head being shaved bald by Trump and Bobby Lashley.
On June 11, 2007, WWE aired a segment where Mr. McMahon's limousine exploded, leading to the character being "presumed dead" as part of a storyline. The angle was reported on WWE.com as a legitimate occurrence.
In February 2008, John "Bradshaw" Layfield revealed that Hornswoggle was not McMahon's son but Finlay's. The scam was thought up by Shane, Stephanie and Linda McMahon, along with Finlay.
In July 2008, all WWE programs transitioned to TV-PG ratings. Vince McMahon stated that this move, along with the demise of WCW in 2001, allowed WWE to refine its storytelling and appeal to corporate sponsors by cutting the "excess" of the Attitude Era.
In 2008, Vince and Linda McMahon donated over $8 million in grants to Fishburne Military School, Sacred Heart University, and East Carolina University. The majority of their donations were toward capital expenditures.
On January 5, 2009, Chris Jericho told Stephanie McMahon that McMahon would be returning to Raw soon.
On January 19, 2009, Vince McMahon returned to Raw, as a face, and supported his daughter's decision on Chris Jericho, but Stephanie rehired him. Randy Orton then assaulted McMahon after harassing Stephanie.
On January 4, 2010, Vince McMahon, confronted Bret "The Hitman" Hart for the first time since the Montreal Screwjob at Survivor Series 1997, seemingly burying the hatchet. However, McMahon kicked Hart in the groin.
On April 7, 2011, Vince McMahon's company ceased using the full name World Wrestling Entertainment and began referring to itself solely as WWE, an orphan initialism. The goal was to reflect a global entertainment expansion beyond wrestling with a focus on television, live events, and film production.
On June 11, 2012, Vince McMahon returned to evaluate John Laurinaitis. After an incident involving Cena and Big Show, McMahon declared Laurinaitis would be fired if Big Show lost at No Way Out, which occurred.
In 2012, WWE planned to launch the WWE Network as part of a shift towards a non-scripted programming model. However, the launch was later pushed back to 2014.
From June 2013, members of the McMahon family began to dispute various elements of the control of WWE, such as the fates of Daniel Bryan, and of Raw and SmackDown general managers Brad Maddox and Vickie Guerrero.
In 2013, Vince McMahon told CM Punk that if The Shield interfered in his match with The Rock, Punk would forfeit the WWE Championship. He was later assaulted by Brock Lesnar, breaking his pelvis.
In February 2014, Vince McMahon helped launch an over-the-top streaming service called the WWE Network.
On May 16, 2014, McMahon's net worth dropped to an estimated $750 million after his WWE stock fell $350 million due to a price drop following disappointing business outcomes.
On November 3, 2014, Vince McMahon returned, making a stipulation that if Team Cena defeated Team Authority at Survivor Series, The Authority would be removed from power.
In 2014, Vince and Linda McMahon donated $1 million to federal candidates and political action committees, including Karl Rove's American Crossroads and America Rising. They also donated $5 million to Donald Trump's former charity, the Donald J. Trump Foundation.
In 2014, the WWE Network was launched as part of WWE's new company model which focused on television, live events and film production.
In early 2014, Vince McMahon stepped aside from his on-screen authority role to evaluate Triple H and Stephanie's control of the company.
On December 14, 2015, Vince McMahon aligned himself with The Authority, granting Roman Reigns a WWE World Heavyweight Championship rematch against Sheamus with a stipulation.
On January 4, 2016, Vince McMahon was special guest referee in Reigns' rematch against Sheamus, where Reigns won. McMahon then announced Reigns would defend his title at the Royal Rumble against 29 other men.
On April 3, 2017, Vince McMahon returned to Raw to announce Kurt Angle as the new Raw General Manager and the upcoming Superstar Shake-up.
In 2017, Vince McMahon established Alpha Entertainment, a separate entity from WWE.
On January 22, 2018, Vince McMahon returned on Raw 25 Years to address the WWE Universe, and turned heel once again by calling them 'cheap'.
On January 25, 2018, Vince McMahon announced the resurrection of the XFL.
On December 17, 2018, Vince McMahon appeared on Monday Night Raw with Shane McMahon, Stephanie McMahon, and Triple H, promising to shake things up by collectively running Raw and SmackDown Live.
On a conference call on July 25, 2019, Vince McMahon announced a new direction for WWE where it would "be a bit edgier, but still remain in the PG environment".
On October 2, 2019, WWE NXT and AEW Dynamite began competing in the Wednesday Night Wars.
On April 13, 2020, the XFL filed for bankruptcy.
In September 2020, Eric Bischoff revealed that during the Monday Night War, Vince McMahon attempted to undermine Ted Turner and WCW through various tactics, including criticizing their content and creating anxiety among shareholders.
On April 7, 2021, AEW Dynamite emerged victorious in the Wednesday Night Wars, leading WWE NXT to move to Tuesday nights.
On April 10, 2021, Vince McMahon welcomed fans back in person at Raymond James Stadium for night 1 of WrestleMania 37, after a year of halting live events due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
On July 6, 2021, it was announced that a new scripted television series called The United States of America vs. Vince McMahon was in production. The series, focused on McMahon's steroid trial in the 1990s, is produced by WWE Studios and Blumhouse Television, with McMahon and Kevin Dunn as executive producers.
On July 29, 2021, during a conference call, Vince McMahon stated that he doesn't consider AEW competition and that he was "not so sure what their investments are as far as their talent is concerned".
On September 14, 2021, WWE revamped NXT with major changes, launching "NXT 2.0".
In 2021, McMahon described the competition with Ted Turner and Time Warner's assets as a "rising tides" situation.
In 2021, Roderick James McMahon III, Vince McMahon's older brother, passed away.
In June 2022, McMahon stepped down as CEO and chairman of WWE amidst claims of hush-money agreements and an internal investigation. His daughter, Stephanie McMahon, replaced him.
On June 17, 2022, Vince McMahon voluntarily stepped down as chairman and CEO of WWE pending an internal investigation, with his daughter Stephanie McMahon being named the interim CEO and interim chairwoman. He continued to oversee WWE creative and content development.
In July 2022, McMahon retired from WWE amidst scandals and investigations.
In 2022, Victoria (née Hanner), Vince McMahon's mother, passed away.
On January 6, 2023, it was announced that Vince McMahon was planning a return to WWE as executive chairman, ahead of upcoming media rights negotiations in 2024 and also to explore a potential sale of the company. WWE published a filing with the SEC, appointing Vince McMahon by himself, George Barrios and Michelle Wilson back to the WWE Board of Directors.
In January 2023, McMahon's return to WWE as executive chairman was confirmed after his previous retirement.
On September 12, 2023, the merger between WWE and UFC as TKO was completed. WWE and UFC continued to operate as separate divisions of TKO, focusing on professional wrestling and mixed martial arts respectively.
In January 2024, Janel Grant filed a lawsuit against Vince McMahon, alleging sexual assault and trafficking. McMahon resigned from TKO following the report.
In January 2024, McMahon resigned from TKO Group Holdings after allegations of sex trafficking and sexual assault. He is also under federal probe.
On January 26, 2024, Vince McMahon resigned from TKO after a report about alleged sexual assaults committed by McMahon was published by The Wall Street Journal. McMahon stated the decision was made "out of respect for the WWE Universe, TKO, shareholders, and business partners."
On February 1, 2024, John Laurinaitis, through his attorney, accused Vince McMahon of sexual misconduct, claiming McMahon had power and control over him.
On February 2, 2024, federal authorities in New York launched an investigation into sexual assault and sex trafficking allegations against McMahon. Federal agents executed a search warrant for McMahon's phone and delivered a subpoena for documents related to allegations of "rape, sex trafficking, sexual assault, commercial sex transaction, harassment or discrimination" against current or former WWE employees.
In March 2024, Vince McMahon filed to sell $411.95 million worth of TKO stock amidst allegations of sexual assault, following a previous sale of shares worth $670.3 million in November.
On September 25, 2024, Netflix released a documentary series titled Mr. McMahon, detailing aspects of McMahon's legacy, including his business impact and controversies.
In 2024, WWE was set to have upcoming media rights negotiations, which was a factor in Vince McMahon's return as executive chairman.
On January 10, 2025, Vince McMahon was fined over $1.7 million by the Securities and Exchange Commission for undisclosed hush money payments from 2019 to 2022 to two women while he was with WWE.
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