Endeavor CEOs Allegedly Told Vince McMahon To Resign After Recent Scandal, More on What’s Left of McMahon’s WWE Influence

As previously reported, Vince McMahon resigned from WWE following allegations of sex trafficking, sexual assault and more. McMahon has denied all allegations and is under criminal investigation. According to The Hollywood Reporter, McMahon’s resignation was suggested by Endeavor CEOs Ari Emanuel and Mark Shapiro, who said it would be in the best interests of TKO.

That happened on January 26, the same night that Slim Jim had threatened to pull its sponsorship. Not long after, McMahon resigned and Nick Khan sent a memo to WWE staff at 8:30 PM noting that McMahon will “no longer have a role with TKO Group Holdings or WWE.” Shortly after McMahon announced his exit, Slim Jim restored its partnership with WWE and ended up sponsoring the Royal Rumble. Both the lawsuit and the heinous details in it surprised talent and TKO leadership. Another source described it as McMahon’s past catching up with him.

It was noted that at the time, TV deals with Netflix, The CW and USA Network were not believed to be at risk. However, TKO felt McMahon staying could be problematic, especially with the WWE PPV rights deal expiring in 2026 and the UFC deal expiring next year. One source noted that if the lawsuit had happened before the Netflix deal, it might have been hurt by it.

As for the future, McMahon still owns around 10% of shares, which THR suggests could give him some influence. MoffettNathanson analyst Robert Fishman said: “His long-term intentions with his economic interests in TKO must be a consideration as a shareholder.” He added that if McMahon sold more stock to pay for his legal matters, it “could put downward pressure on TKO stock.”