– A profile piece by NBC News detailed on life after WWE for former WWE and TKO Chairman Vince McMahon addressed life after WWE, and the ongoing lawsuit against him by former WWE employee, Janel Grant. As previously noted, McMahon is also under federal investigation for the allegations of sexual assault and sex trafficking brought against him by Grant. However, he has not yet been charged. The report also stated who McMahon has been in contact with since he resigned from WWE, including Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, John Cena, and former President Donald Trump.
Multiple WWE insiders claim that McMahon has not had any contact with company leaders and figureheads since he resided from his post as TKO Executive Chairman of the Board earlier this year. Mark Shapiro previously said last month that McMahon no longer works for the company, “doesn’t come into the office, and he’s not coming back to the company.”
Sources also informed NBC News that McMahon hasn’t spoked to son-in-law, WWE Chief Creative Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque, and daughter Stephane McMahon-Levesque, on company matters either. It’s said that Stephanie McMahon currently has no involvement with WWE, despite appearing at the start of WrestleMania 40: Night 2, introducing the event. Both Levesque and McMahon-Levesque declined to comment to NBC News through a spokesperson, along with a representative of WWE.
The report says that McMahon has maintained his other routines in life, and that he’s not phased by his ongoing legal battles. McMahon reportedly returned on a private plane in March to the United States from a recent trip to the Turks and Caicos Islands. He brought with him seven kittens and a puppy that he brought back with him to be adopted by friends. An anonymous source close to McMahon told NBC News, “If anything, he’s enjoying life.” The anonymous individual also said that McMahon recently took a trip to Italy.
McMahon’s attorney, Jessica Rosenberg, declined to comment on McMahon’s personal life post-WWE, but she did send a statement on Tuesday (Apr. 16) criticizing Janel Grant’s lawsuit, writing, “The lawsuit’s claims are false, defamatory and entirely without merit. We intend to vigorously defend Mr. McMahon and are confident that he will be vindicated.”
With regards to the federal investigation into the allegations, one of the people close to the former WWE Chairman said to NBC News that McMahon is cooperating with authorities. Additionally, McMahon reportedly believes that federal officials won’t bring any charges against him and that Grant’s case will be settled out of course, per an individual close to him. Federal investigators reportedly seized a phone from McMahon and are said to be determining whether federal law was broken in the conduct surrounding grant’s allegations.
Vince McMahon was previously served with a federal grand jury subpoena last Summer, and a search warrant was later executed in July. U.S. Attorney’s Office Southern District of New York spokesperson Nicholas Biase reportedly declined to comment on the investigation. Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the attorneys of Janel Grant that there have not been any settlement talks with McMahon.
Meanwhile, McMahon reportedly likes to often take private trips from his Connecticut home to Manhattan where he eats with friends at restaurants, receive bi-weekly haircuts at his longtime barber, and he still regularly visits his personal trainer multiple times a week. Two sources also informed NBC News that McMahon has largely been “quite guarded,” and he’s usually on the phone with his lawyers mapping out plans since Grant announced her lawsuit.
Multiple sources also informed NBC news that McMahon has maintained contact with his longtime friend, former United States President Donald Trump, who is also facing his own legal issues. The report notes that the two men have been in touch regularly, though it’s unknown what they have discussed. McMahon’s wife, Linda McMahon, previously served as a member of Trump’s presidential cabinet. Multiple sources also say that McMahon has kept in touch with actor, WWE Superstar, and TKO Board Member Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and John Cena. McMahon was among the people who welcomed The Rock as a member of the board of TKO earlier this year before McMahon’s resignation.
Source indicate that WWE has become a more “relaxed” environment since McMahon’s resignation. Two current employees claimed when Vince McMahon was still in charge, he would arrive at the office late in the afternoon and then stay until around midnight, if not later. McMahon’s office at WWE headquarters in Stamford is said to be unoccupied at the moment but largely intact. One executive called the empty office “spooky.”
With regards to McMahon’s business management style, other sources told NBC news that McMahon had a habit of acting capricious and being quick to fire employees, generating a culture of fear within the company. Other employees say that McMahon’s exit has reportedly given the company more levity and freedom to make mistakes and suggest ideas. Additionally, the current WWE leadership is said to operate more conventionally, giving employees who are underperforming a standard progress report and opportunities to make improvements before actions are taken.
The report notes that some Vince McMahon loyalists remain within the company. However, one employee is quoted as saying that McMahon “distracted” from WWE being a good place to work. Another employee stated, “People feel like they’re on steadier ground.” It seems employees within the company are more at ease following McMahon’s resignation in January. With McMahon selling hundreds of millions of dollars worth of TKO shares since last November, McMahon has sold additional shares since he resigned in January. He no longer has a controlling interest in WWE, much like he did when he first resigned from the company in July 2022 before his eventual return in January of the following year.
