Stephanie McMahon has announced she is resigning from WWE.
McMahon announced her resignation via a statement posted on her official social media. She began by reminding fans that she had taken a leave of absence from WWE in mid-2022 that was cut short when she was asked to serve as co-CEO and chairwoman of the board of directors after her father, Vince McMahon, was put under investigation for sexual misconduct. Vince eventually retired from the company in July but returned less than a week ago by installing himself as executive chairman of the board using his authority as the majority shareholder.
“I cannot put into words how proud I am to have led what I consider to be the greatest company in the world, working alongside a remarkable leadership team and one of the strongest executives I have known in my co-CEO, Nick Khan,” McMahon wrote.
She then stated she believed the company is in a strong position with her father’s return and under the leadership of Khan and chief content officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque, who is also her husband.
“WWE is in such a strong position, that I have decided to return to my leave and take it one step further with my official resignation,” she continued. She concluded by saying to WWE fans “Thank you for everything. Then. Now. Forever. Together.”
Read her full statement below.
With the resignation, Khan will now be the sole CEO of WWE. This is the latest high-profile executive move at WWE in less than a week. With Vince’s return as executive chairman, he also installed allies and former WWE co-presidents Michelle Wilson and George Barrios in two board seats after removing three members of the board of directors. Two others resigned with Vince’s return.
Vince has stated he is returning to the company in order to aid in negotiations for new media rights deals as well as to explore a possible sale.
“First, I’d like to express my full support for Stephanie’s personal decision,” Vince said in a statement issued by WWE. “I’ll forever be grateful that she offered to step in during my absence and I’m truly proud of the job she did co-leading WWE. Stephanie has always been the ultimate ambassador for our company, and her decades of contributions have left an immeasurable impact on our brand.”
Stephanie McMahon has been associated with WWE in some form or fashion for the majority of her life, going back to her teenage years when she modeled WWE merchandise in catalogs. After college, she began working in the WWE offices before being promoted to executive vice president of creative in 2007. She eventually rose to the position of chief brand officer before assuming her role as co-CEO and chairwoman.
She also appeared on WWE’s television shows for many years as an onscreen authority figure and occasional wrestler. She was famously involved in a storyline in which Levesque, as his Triple H persona, kidnapped her and married her, before it was revealed that she was part of the plan as revenge against her father, thus making her a villain. She is also a one-time winner of WWE’s Women’s Championship title.