Private Messages Reveal Shocking Surprise About Vince McMahon’s WWE Exit
Vince McMahon’s exit from WWE was far from a simple resignation.
In fact, he retired from the promotion twice in as many years between 2022 and 2024.
His initial retirement came following claims of hush money agreements he had paid to several former employees. After stepping down from his role as CEO and Chairman of the WWE in June 2022, he retired in July.
During his absence, his daughter, Stephanie McMahon, was appointed as the co-CEO and chairwoman of the company alongside Nick Khan.
However, after six months, Vince McMahon returned as executive chairman in January 2023, following which Stephanie announced her departure.
While the chain of events got the wrestling fans talking, something else was cooking behind the scenes, details of which have now come to light.
Apparently, McMahon’s 2022 retirement was supposed to be for a limited duration, after which he would eventually return to either take the company private or sell it to TKO.
A text message sent by now TKO President Mark Shapiro on the day of Vince McMahon’s 2022 departure outlined a belief that Vince would eventually return and a company transaction would begin:
“Nick and Stephanie are going to take over the WWE for the next nine months. At the end… pic.twitter.com/CHf2X7rDSw
— WrestlePurists (@WrestlePurists) December 29, 2025
Court Filings Refute Nick Khan’s Claims About Vince McMahon’s Creative Involvement
WWE has been involved in a separate lawsuit filed by one of its shareholders, accusing Vince McMahon of preventing the board from taking time-sensitive decisions through his involvement.
Earlier, the court had issued a subpoena for phone activity of several WWE and TKO higher-ups, including Triple H and Mark Shapiro.
In a 2023 interview, Nick Khan had claimed that Vince was not involved in the company’s creative direction, and that the responsibility was solely handled by Triple H.
However, new court filings seemingly refute these claims, showing McMahon’s involvement in WrestleMania 39’s creative through text messages.
WWE has officially not commented about this latest development.