Vince McMahon Staying On In WWE “Critical” For Endeavor

Vince McMahon stunned the wrestling world in July 2022 when he retired from WWE amid allegations of sexual misconduct and hush money payments – but that retirement did not last long.

At the beginning of 2023, McMahon forced his way back onto WWE’s Board of Directors before he was appointed Executive Chairman. On the day after WrestleMania 39, another ground-breaking shift was to come when WWE revealed that the company was set to be acquired by Endeavor – the owner of UFC.

It was noted in a filing to the SEC that Endeavor believed that Vince McMahon’s continued presence in the company was “critical” to the potential money to be made that drove the company’s desire to acquire WWE:

“During conversations on March 23 and March 24, 2023 … representatives of Latham emphasized … that the governance proposals in the March 23 Endeavor Term Sheet were fundamental to Endeavor’s thesis for pursuing a transaction with WWE in light of, among other things, Endeavor’s belief that Mr. McMahon’s continued leadership as contemplated by the March 23 Endeavor Term Sheet would be critical to the value creation driving Endeavor’s desire to engage in the transaction.

“And that agreeing to increase WWE’s securityholders’ pro forma equity ownership in the combined company to the 51/49 split that had been proposed by WWE was conditioned upon both changes required by Endeavor to the governance arrangements set forth in the March 23 Endeavor Term Sheet.

“Latham also reiterated Endeavor’s position that Mr. McMahon provide his written consent to approve the potential transaction with Endeavor promptly following the signing of definitive transaction agreements.”

The document also laid bare how much Vince McMahon had to splash out as a result of abandoned lawsuits relating to his return to WWE at the beginning of 2023.