WWE has been a family business since its inception. Vincent K. McMahon assumed control of what was first Vincent J. McMahon’s Capitol Wrestling Corporation in 1982, purchasing his father’s company in an effort to streamline professional wrestling into his World Wrestling Federation. As the WWF reached tremendous heights throughout the Attitude Era of the 1990s, Vince’s son Shane and daughter Stephanie took hold of on-screen roles that eventually evolved into backstage titles. Shane worked as a referee and producer before becoming WWE Executive Vice President of Global Media while Stephanie served as an account executive and head writer ahead of her promotion to WWE Chief Brand Officer.
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While Shane’s WWE tenure is in the rear view, Stephanie was promoted once more in Summer 2022, taking over as WWE Chairwoman and co-CEO following Vince’s retirement. Those positions would last just six months, as Vince returned to the WWE Board of Directors earlier this month, and Stephanie has since resigned.
There is no explicit reasoning for Stephanie’s resignation, but a report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter indicated friction between herself and her father. Stephanie and Vince reportedly had “issues working together as family members,” with WWE CEO Nick Khan utilizing himself as a “buffer” that helped smooth out problems between the two. It was added that Khan helped ease tensions between Vince and WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque as well.
As of this writing, Vince has reassumed his position as chairman of the board while Khan has taken on all CEO responsibilities. Levesque’s spot has not changed, as he remains the creative lead for both Monday Night Raw and WWE SmackDown.
That said, things could change depending on a sale. Vince’s return comes with the motive to sell WWE to a parent company, with industry giants like Amazon, Disney, and Comcast emerging as potential suitors. Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund is also among those interested, but there has been no confirmation on the country purchasing WWE. While questions of morality have arose regarding a potential deal between Saudi Arabia and WWE, as WWE superstars Sami Zayn and MVP are banned from performing inside Saudi Arabia’s borders due to their heritage and faith, Saudi Arabia is one of the few potential buyers that could make WWE private once more. If WWE is taken private, Vince has a clearer path to return to creative power.
Stay tuned to ComicBook.com for updates on Vince’s return to WWE.
