Early Life
Vincent Kennedy McMahon was born on August 24, 1945, in Pinehurst, North Carolina. He did not meet his father, Vincent James McMahon, until he was 12 years old. Upon meeting his father, Vincent Kennedy became enamored in the professional wrestling business and sought to follow in his father’s footsteps. He initially wished to be a wrestler himself but was dissuaded from the idea.
In 1968, McMahon graduated from East Carolina University with a degree in business. The following year, McMahon made his debut as a ring announcer in his father’s wrestling promotion, the World Wide Wrestling Federation. As time went on, McMahon assumed more prominent roles in the company until he finally established himself as a force to be reckoned with in the wrestling business.
Purchase Of WWE
In 1980, McMahon founded Titan Sports and became the chairman of the company. Then, in 1982, McMahon purchased the WWE from his ailing father. This was the beginning of a paradigm shift in the wrestling industry that would change its landscape forever.
In 1983, McMahon separated the WWE from the NWA and began to expand beyond the boundaries agreed upon by the territorial system. He recruited stars from other promotions, such as Hulk Hogan from the AWA and Jake Roberts from Mid-South Wrestling. By the end of the decade, WWE had achieved unprecedented success as a wrestling promotion and blew the rest of its competition out of the water.
The Attitude Era
When most people think of Vince McMahon, they most likely picture the conniving businessman of the Attitude Era. The period was filled with raunchy humor, edgy storylines, and foul language. It was during this time that McMahon turned into just as much of a character as the competitors in the ring.
McMahon’s principal adversary was the blue-collar antihero, Stone Cold Steve Austin. The two of them butted heads for years in the late 1990s, creating some of the most entertaining storylines in wrestling history.
As the Attitude Era came to a close, so did the outlandishness of the Vince McMahon character. However, he still maintained an onscreen presence while exerting his influence backstage.
WWE Goes PG
By the mid-2000s, McMahon had conquered and purchased his biggest competitor, WCW. He remained on top of the mountain, with a vice grip on the industry. He had completely monopolized the wrestling business.
One of the most controversial periods for WWE came in the Summer of 2008 when the company shifted to a TV-PG rating. It was (and remains) an incredibly polarizing decision among WWE fans. Vince McMahon, though, did what he thought would be best for business. The PG Era made WWE more appealing to corporate sponsors and would usher in incredible profits for the company.
Scandals & Retirement
On June 17, 2022, McMahon stepped down as chairman and CEO of WWE amidst allegations of sexual misconduct and the revelation that he had paid four women $12 million in hush money. He announced his official retirement from the company on July 22, leaving his daughter Stephanie McMahon and Nick Khan to serve as Co-CEOs in his place.
Return To WWE & Creation Of TKO
Although he retired in 2022, McMahon would quickly come storming back to the company in 2023 in order to facilitate a sale of WWE and to negotiate WWE's media rights, which were expiring in 2024. McMahon would also join Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel and others on the board of TKO, a new company formed by merging together both McMahon's WWE empire and the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship). McMahon recently sold a large chunk of his stock in the company and it's long been rumored that his power in the company may not be as strong as once suspected. Nevertheless, McMahon still casts a large shadow over the wrestling business.
