Vincent Kennedy McMahon was born in 1945 in Pinehurst, North Carolina. His enormous net worth comes from his career as a media proprietor, former professional wrestling promoter, executive, and performer.
He recently retired from WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) amidst allegations of sexual misconduct.
Vince McMahon’s Early Life
Vince is the younger son of Victoria (née Hanner, later Askew) and Vincent James McMahon. Vincent was the founder of Capitol Wrestling Corporation, the precursor to the organization now known as WWE.
McMahon’s father left the family when he was still a baby, along with his elder son, Rod. He didn’t meet his father until he was 12 years old.
His paternal grandfather was fellow promoter Roderick James “Jess” McMahon, whose parents were immigrants of Irish descent from County Galway. His paternal grandmother, Rose Davis, was also of Irish descent.
Raised as Vinnie Lupton, McMahon spent most of his childhood living with his mother and stepfathers. He says that one of his stepfathers, Leo Lupton, beat his mother and assaulted him when he attempted to protect her.
McMahon attended Fishburne Military School in Waynesboro, Virginia, and graduated in 1964. It is said that he has dyslexia.
Following in His Father’s Professional Wrestling Footsteps
When Vince McMahon first met his father when he was 12, he immediately became interested in following his professional wrestling footsteps. He often accompanied him on trips to Madison Square Garden, which further heightened his interest.
McMahon wanted to be a wrestler, but his father wouldn’t allow it. He believed promoters should keep their business away from the ring and shouldn’t appear on shows.
He graduated from East Carolina University in 1968 with a business degree. After a nondescript career as a traveling salesman, he was keen to take on a managerial role in his father’s World Wide Wrestling Federation promotion.
What is Vince McMahon’s Net Worth?
Celebrity Net Worth shows Vince McMahon’s net worth is around $1.8 billion. That puts him on par with Stewart Rahr, Nelson Peltz, Michael Hintze, and Beyonce and Jay-Z (combined).
How Did Vince McMahon Earn His Net Worth?
Most of Vince McMahon’s money has been made in wrestling (in various roles). However, he has participated in other ventures over the years. Let’s take a closer look.
Professional Wrestling
McMahon made his debut as an in-ring announcer for the WWWF’s All-Star Wrestling in 1969.
In 1971, he was assigned to a small territory in Maine, and it was there that he promoted his first card.
Later that same year, he became the play-by-play commentator for television matches after replacing Ray Morgan. He regularly maintained this role until late 1997.
It was in the 1970s that McMahon became a significant force in his father’s company and, over the next decade, worked alongside Vince Sr. in tripling TV syndication.
McMahon played a big part in WWWF’s renaming to the World Wrestling Federation (WWF).
He was also the promoter responsible for the Muhammad Ali versus Antonio Inoki fight of 1976, which many see as the precursor to modern mixed martial arts.
In 1979, McMahon and his wife, Linda, founded a company of their own, Titan Sports, which was incorporated the following year.
In 1982, he acquired control of his ailing father’s company. Vince Sr. passed away in 1984.
When McMahon took control, the WWF was still quite a modestly-sized company. Still, he recruited Hulk Hogan to become its face; the rest is history.
McMahon soon developed the “Rock & Wrestling Connection,” a concept that brought famous musicians into the storylines and provided professional wrestling with an unprecedented national and international audience.
He created popular promotions and concepts like WrestleMania. He helped make wrestlers household names by shaping the WWF into a unique sports entertainment brand.
The company has undergone many changes over the years. Hardcore fans tend to divide the changes into “eras.” Those eras are; the Golden Age Era, the New Generation Era, the Attitude Era, the Monday Night Wars, the Ruthless Aggression Era, and the PG Era. In the current era, the company is competing with newbies AEW.
Today WWE is a multi-billion dollar enterprise.
Wrestling Personality
Vince McMahon honed his on-screen persona as a color commentator. Still, he had a much more prominent in-ring role in the subsequent years.
The “Mr. McMahon” character was developed in 1997. He became involved in some significant storylines, beginning with his feud with Stone Cold Steve Austin that same year.
Other significant storylines for McMahon included; the McMahon-Helmsley era (2000-2001), the invasion and brand extension (2001-2005), his faked death (2007), and The Authority (2013-2017).
He won the 1999 Royal Rumble and is a one-time holder of both the WWF Championship (defeating Triple H in 1999) and the ECW Championship (defeating Bobby Lashley in 2007).
In the wake of an ongoing sexual harassment scandal, McMahon announced he was retiring from WWE in 2022.
XFL and Other Ventures
McMahon and his wife purchased the Cape Cod Coliseum and the Cape Cod Buccaneers of the Atlantic Coast Hockey League in 1979. As well as hockey and wrestling events, they sold out rock concerts (such as Rush and Van Halen) in non-summer months. Traditionally, this was considered unviable due to a lack of tourists.
The purchase led to the McMahons joining the International Association of Arena Managers, where they learned countless tips and tricks that hugely benefited WWE’s success.
McMahon founded the World Bodybuilding Federation in 1990, but the organization folded two years later.
In 2000, McMahon launched the XFL, a professional American football league. It began in 2001, and he attended the first game. Still, it folded after a single season due to low television ratings. He resurrected the league in 2018, but it filed for bankruptcy in 2020.
In 2014, McMahon played a big part in creating an over-the-top streaming service called the WWE Network. In 2017, he launched the private enterprise Alpha Entertainment, a separate entity to the WWE.
How Does Vince McMahon Spend His Money?
Someone with the crazy amounts of cash Vince McMahon possesses can buy whatever he likes – and he does precisely that.
Connecticut Mansion
He lives with his wife in a three-story mansion in Greenwich, Connecticut, just 15 minutes down the road from WWE headquarters. The property cost $40 million, sits on ten acres of land, and has seven bedrooms, a modern kitchen, a personal gym, multiple gardens, and a large swimming pool.
Luxury Cars
McMahon loves luxury vehicles, and the prized possession amongst his fleet is a 2010 Bentley Continental GT SuperSport. The base price for such a car is $200,000, but McMahon paid an extra $100,000 to customize it.
Private Jet
He owns a private jet – specifically a 2007 Bombardier Global 5000. It cost around $27 million and is used by McMahon, his family, and WWE’s wrestlers for fast traveling. The jet can carry up to 19 passengers, has soundproof cabins and offices, and is decorated in WWE’s signature colors.
47 Foot Yacht
McMahon also owns a yacht, which is quite infamous for its name. It’s called “Sexy B***h,” and he bought it for an undisclosed fee, said to be tens of millions of dollars. The vessel is 47-foot long and includes several bedrooms, bathrooms, and entertainment spaces.
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Conclusion
Vince McMahon has now stepped down from his role with the WWE, but he will continue to benefit from his investment in the company.
He also has Alpha Entertainment bringing in revenue, so he’ll never be short of money.
Amid his sexual assault charges, we can only wait to find out what happens concerning his future.
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This post was produced and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.
Kev is a UK-based sport and entertainment writer – a job he’s been doing full-time since 2013. He’s produced content for a wide variety of websites and publications all over the world. He’s a huge movie fan with a particular love for horror, superhero movies and 80s movies. For his sins, Kev is a fan of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club.
