Vince McMahon Reportedly Plotting Return to WWE & Potential Sale of Company

As noted before, Vince McMahon is currently dealing with new legal issues over his past sexual misconduct and assault allegations. McMahon retired from WWE this past July over the fallout of the allegations against him but is currently hopeful for a potential return to the company in the future.

The Wall Street Journal reported that their sources stated that McMahon is currently in the process of plotting his potential return to the company. McMahon reportedly had recently informed WWE’s Board of Directors that he was electing himself and two former WWE Co-Presidents and Directors, Michelle Wilson and George Barrios, to the company’s Board. McMahon reportedly is able to do this due to him still retaining the majority of voting power stock shares in the company. It was also reported that McMahon’s decision will require three members of WWE’s existing Board to vacate their positions.

It was reported that McMahon had sent WWE’s Board a letter this past December “detailing his desire to return to the company he ran for four decades, to help spearhead a strategic-review process, the people said. Mr. McMahon believes there is a narrow window to kick off a sales process because WWE’s media rights—including for its flagship programs “Raw” and “SmackDown”—are about to be renegotiated, according to the people.”

Those close to the situation reportedly stated that WWE’s Board responded to McMahon’s letter stating that they were “prepared to initiate a review process and would welcome working with him on it” but “unanimously agreed that Mr. McMahon’s return to the business wouldn’t be in shareholders’ best interest.” WWE’s Board also reportedly asked McMahon “to confirm his commitment to repay expenses incurred by WWE related to an investigation of the allegations and requested that he agree not to return to the company during government probes of the matter.” McMahon reportedly responded stating that he “remains willing to continue working to complete any reimbursement for reasonable expenses related to the investigation, to the extent they aren’t covered by insurance” but declined to agree to their demand for him to not return to the company.

It was also reported that McMahon informed WWE’s Board that unless he has “direct involvement” as Executive Chairman from the outset of a strategic review, he would not support nor apprive “any media rights deal or sale.”

It was also reported that the status of WWE co-CEO Stepahnie McMahon in the company should McMahon return is currently not known.