Since leaving WWE, Vince McMahon has resigned from the company’s parent, TKO Group Holdings, settled a Securities and Exchange Commission case for about $1.7 million, sold off most of his stake in TKO, and continued to fight a federal sex trafficking lawsuit brought by a former employee. What happened to Vince McMahon, in short: a cascade of civil suits, a federal criminal probe that was dropped without charges, an SEC action he settled without admitting wrongdoing, and a quiet exit from the business he spent his life building. As of mid-2026 he holds no position at WWE or TKO, has made no public appearances at WWE events, and runs a small private investment firm from Delaware.
Why He Left WWE
McMahon’s problems became public in the summer of 2022, when the Wall Street Journal reported secret payments to women to suppress sexual misconduct allegations. A WWE board investigation identified at least $14.6 million in such payments made between 2006 and 2022.1Los Angeles Times. Vince McMahon Will Pay $1.7 Million to Settle With SEC Over Hush Money Agreements He resigned as chairman in July 2022, reached a separate multimillion-dollar settlement in December 2022 with former referee Rita Chatterton (who had publicly accused him of raping her in 1986, which he denied),2Wall Street Journal. WWE’s Vince McMahon Settles With Ex-Wrestling Referee Who Accused Him of Rape then returned to the board in January 2023 to push through the merger that combined WWE with UFC into TKO Group Holdings. That roughly $21 billion deal closed in September 2023, and McMahon became TKO’s executive chairman.3Wrestlenomics. Who Owns WWE After the TKO Merger and Before
His second tenure ended fast. On January 25, 2024, former WWE employee Janel Grant filed a federal sex trafficking and sexual assault lawsuit against him in Connecticut. He resigned from TKO the next day, calling the complaint “replete with lies” but saying he was stepping down out of respect for the company and its shareholders.4ESPN. Vince McMahon Resigns Following Allegations of Sexual Misconduct5ABC News. Vince McMahon Resigns From TKO Group Amid Sexual Misconduct Allegations
The Janel Grant Sex Trafficking Lawsuit
Grant, hired in June 2019 as an administrator-coordinator in WWE’s legal department, alleges McMahon conditioned her employment and promotions on sexual demands. The complaint describes a June 2021 incident in which McMahon and WWE executive John Laurinaitis allegedly cornered her in Laurinaitis’s locked office and sexually assaulted her, and it accuses McMahon of attempting to traffic her to WWE talent and of sharing explicit photos and videos of her with colleagues. The suit also names WWE, alleging the company concealed the misconduct, and asks the court to void a 2022 nondisclosure agreement Grant says she was coerced into signing in exchange for payments McMahon later stopped making.6Janel Grant Complaint. Grant v. World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., Case No. 3:24-cv-00090
An amended complaint filed in January 2025 identified Brock Lesnar as a person McMahon allegedly offered Grant to for sex, including flying Lesnar to Connecticut for an encounter that did not occur. Lesnar is not a defendant and has not commented publicly.7ESPN. Brock Lesnar Named in Suit Against Ex-WWE Boss Vince McMahon In an April 2026 affidavit, Grant said she and Lesnar exchanged texts in late 2021 but never met in person.8Post Wrestling. Janel Grant Adds New Details to Allegations Against Vince McMahon, Brock Lesnar, WWE
In May 2025, Laurinaitis reached a confidential settlement with Grant and was dismissed from the case with prejudice, agreeing to cooperate and provide evidence against McMahon and WWE. The nature of that evidence has not been disclosed. McMahon’s attorney, Jessica Rosenberg, said the dismissal “doesn’t alter the facts of this case in any way” and maintained McMahon “never mistreated Janel Grant.”9ESPN. Ex-WWE Executive Agrees to Help Accuser in Suit vs. Vince McMahon10New York Post. Vince McMahon’s Co-Defendant in Sex Trafficking Lawsuit Reaches Secret Deal to Flip on Former Boss
The case (No. 3:24-cv-00090) is before Judge Sarah F. Russell in the District of Connecticut.11CourtListener. Grant v. World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. In February 2026 the judge denied Grant’s request for early discovery, with leave to renew.12Post Wrestling. Judge Denies Discovery in Janel Grant Lawsuit Against Vince McMahon and WWE As of June 2026, McMahon, Grant, and WWE jointly asked the court to move the dispute to private arbitration under the 2022 NDA Grant had previously challenged as coerced, and asked that a June 16, 2026 hearing be canceled while they held “active discussions regarding a potential agreement to arbitrate.” The motion is awaiting the judge’s ruling.13PW Torch. Vince McMahon, Janel Grant, WWE Ask Court to Move Sex Trafficking Lawsuit to Private Arbitration
Federal Criminal Probe Dropped; SEC Settlement
Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York had opened a criminal investigation that included a July 2023 search warrant on McMahon’s phone and a grand jury subpoena. The probe examined whether he committed crimes in concealing allegations and nondisclosure agreements from WWE.14CNN. Federal Prosecutors Drop Criminal Probe Into Vince McMahon In February 2025 McMahon’s attorney Robert W. Allen said the investigation had “definitively concluded and will not result in charges.” The Justice Department did not publicly explain the decision.15The Hill. McMahon Probe Dropped
The SEC’s parallel case settled in January 2025. The agency charged McMahon with failing to disclose two settlements, a $3 million payment to a former employee in 2019 and a $7.5 million payment to a former independent contractor in 2022, to WWE’s board, legal department, accountants, or auditors. The SEC found he circumvented WWE’s internal accounting controls and caused the company to overstate 2018 net income by about 8% and 2021 net income by about 1.7%.16SEC. SEC Charges Vince McMahon Without admitting or denying the findings, McMahon agreed to pay a $400,000 civil penalty and reimburse WWE roughly $1.33 million, about $1.7 million total. He characterized the matter as “minor accounting errors with regard to some personal payments.”17ABC News. Vince McMahon to Pay $1.7 Million for Failing to Disclose Settlements
The Shareholder Merger Lawsuit
WWE shareholders sued in the Delaware Court of Chancery (In re World Wrestling Ent. Inc. Merger Litig., No. 2023-1166), alleging McMahon manipulated the sale process behind the TKO deal. The shareholders argued he pursued the Endeavor merger because Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel, described as McMahon’s longtime friend, promised him a continued executive role, indemnification, and legal support related to the misconduct investigations, and that WWE President Nick Khan helped steer talks away from bidders who would not guarantee McMahon’s authority.18Delaware Online. Vince McMahon, WWE Settle Delaware Lawsuit Over UFC Merger
In May 2026, Vice Chancellor J. Travis Laster sanctioned McMahon and Khan for destroying evidence. The court found that McMahon, Khan, Paul “Triple H” Levesque, Stephanie McMahon, and Brad Blum had used the encrypted app Signal and its auto-delete feature to wipe communications they had a duty to preserve. As a sanction, five specific allegations, including that Emanuel’s promises influenced McMahon’s decision-making, would be treated as presumptively true at trial, with defendants required to disprove them by clear and convincing evidence.19Post Wrestling. Vince McMahon and Nick Khan Sanctioned by Judge in WWE Merger Lawsuit Trial was set to begin June 8, 2026, but the parties reached an agreement in principle to settle on June 7. Terms have not been disclosed, and the settlement will go to the court for approval.20Bloomberg Law. McMahon, WWE Reach Deal With Investors to End UFC Merger Lawsuit
The Ring Boys Lawsuit
In October 2024, five unidentified plaintiffs sued Vince McMahon, Linda McMahon, WWE, and TKO in Baltimore County Circuit Court, alleging the defendants enabled sexual exploitation of underage “ring boys” by former ringside announcer Melvin Phillips Jr. during the 1980s and 1990s. The complaint alleges McMahon fired Phillips in 1988 after complaints but rehired him about six weeks later on the condition he “steer away from kids,” which he allegedly violated. McMahon’s attorney called the allegations “false, absurd, and utterly meritless.”21NBC News. Vince McMahon, WWE Accused of Allowing Rampant Sexual Exploitation of Young Ring Boys22CBS News Baltimore. New Lawsuit Alleges Child Sexual Abuse of WWE Ring Boys A federal judge stayed the case in December 2024 pending a Supreme Court of Maryland ruling on the constitutionality of the statute that allowed the claims, expected by August 2025.23ABC11. Linda McMahon Lawsuit: Sex Abuse Case Involving Education Secretary Pick, Husband Vince, WWE Is Paused
What McMahon Is Doing Now
Since the TKO merger, McMahon has sold more than $2 billion in TKO shares, cutting his ownership to roughly 3% of the company. He sold $311.2 million in shares to TKO and Endeavor in April 2024 and another 1,579,000 shares to Endeavor in June 2025 for about $250 million at $158.32 per share.24Variety. Vince McMahon Sells TKO Stock to Endeavor Group3Wrestlenomics. Who Owns WWE After the TKO Merger and Before Forbes estimated his 2025 net worth at about $3 billion.25Times of India. What Happened to Vince McMahon After WWE Exit
In September 2024 he registered three Delaware LLCs under the name 14TH & I, a reference to the Washington, D.C. street corner where his father’s Capitol Wrestling Corporation was once based. Led by former WWE executive Brad Blum, the firm is described as a private investment company focused on buyouts and minority stakes in sports, media, and entertainment. Reports in early 2026 described preliminary talks with Saudi investors about a possible multi-billion-dollar bid to buy WWE back and take it private; earlier reporting from Wrestlenomics in late 2024 found no sign such a move was underway and called it unlikely given Endeavor’s controlling 61% stake in TKO.26Wrestlenomics. Vince McMahon’s New Company Is Called 14th and I
McMahon has not appeared at a WWE event since his departure. As of April 2026, WWE had no internal plans for him to attend the 2026 Hall of Fame ceremony.27Yahoo Sports. Latest on Vince McMahon Potentially Appearing
The Netflix Documentary
Netflix released the six-part documentary Mr. McMahon, directed by Chris Smith, on September 25, 2024. Produced over four years, it draws on more than 200 hours of interviews with McMahon (recorded before his resignation), family members, wrestling figures including The Rock, John Cena, and Steve Austin, and journalists who covered the scandal. McMahon stopped cooperating with the filmmakers once the sex trafficking allegations became public.28Netflix Tudum. Mr. McMahon Release Date, Trailer, News29The New Yorker. Mr. McMahon TV Review