A moment wrestling fans never thought we’d see has happened: WWE chairman Vince McMahon has retired from the company he helped turn into a global brand.
Vince tweeted a short message, saying “At 77, time for me to retire. Thank you, WWE Universe.” WWE’s corporate site has a more detailed statement from McMahon:
“As I approach 77 years old, I feel it’s time for me to retire as Chairman and CEO of WWE. Throughout the years, it’s been a privilege to help WWE bring you joy, inspire you, thrill you, surprise you, and always entertain you. I would like to thank my family for mightily contributing to our success, and I would also like to thank all of our past and present Superstars and employees for their dedication and passion for our brand. Most importantly, I would like to thank our fans for allowing us into your homes every week and being your choice of entertainment. I hold the deepest appreciation and admiration for our generations of fans all over the world who have liked, currently like, and sometimes even love our form of Sports Entertainment.
“Our global audience can take comfort in knowing WWE will continue to entertain you with the same fervor, dedication, and passion as always. I am extremely confident in the continued success of WWE, and I leave our company in the capable hands of an extraordinary group of Superstars, employees, and executives – in particular, both Chairwoman and Co-CEO Stephanie McMahon and Co-CEO Nick Khan. As the majority shareholder, I will continue to support WWE in any way I can. My personal thanks to our community and business partners, shareholders, and Board of Directors for their guidance and support through the years. Then. Now. Forever. Together.”
Vince’s daughter Stephanie McMahon will serve as co-CEO alongside Nick Khan. Stephanie’s husband, Paul “Triple H” Levesque, returned to his station as the EVP of Talent Relations after a health scare last year forced him to take time away.
This shocking news of course comes on the heels of a slew of accusations of sexual misconduct and misuse of company funds to cover up said misconduct. Vince McMahon has long said he would run WWE until the day he died (and would often joke that he wasn’t going to die, either), and his initial response to the accusations was to insert himself even more in the public eye, appearing on both SmackDown and Raw in succession.
Now, as rumors of more credible reports of misconduct encircle the company, it seems that McMahon has decided to fully leave the company – or the board of directors insisted he do so. More on this shocking story as it develops.
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