WWE: On-going News: Vince McMahon voluntarily steps down as CEO and chairman amid investigations into hush money payments, Stephanie interim CEO

Emperoreddy

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Apr 13, 2010
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My understanding is yeah Vince has voting control, but since this is an investigation about him he would not be allowed to vote so he absolutely could be outed.

He would sue that he should have a vote in any decision and the SEC would step in at some point depending how ugly it got
 

boredmale

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Why not both? They can push the brand also makes some individual stars.
Hey I agree that trying to make stars would make the product better, but given the McMahons are racking in billions doing it how they are now makes it hard for them to change up anything since it's working. Not saying I agree with the method they are using, but the fact it works makes it hard to say they should do something different(although for the sake of argument I think a good portion of their revenue is generated by the tape library)
 

GKJ

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Plus, if they build too big of a star, they leave.
 

DaaaaB's

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You only have to look at the current popularity of wrestling vs the attitude era to figure out if building stars or the brand is the better business plan. It's clearly the former.
 
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yahhockey

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The other domino


“All: John Laurinaitis has been placed on administrative leave pending the conclusion of our Board of Directors’ internal investigation. Bruce Prichard will serve as interim head of Talent Relations. 1/2

Bruce will ensure a seamless operational transition with the Talent Relations team during this period. Thank you as always”
 

DaaaaB's

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Except they never have made more money than now.

They have a niche audience ready to pay a lot of money per head and they are milking them.
I'm surprised they're making more money now considering it's a lot less popular but I believe you. Milking a niche audience doesn't seem like a great long term plan though.

The other domino

Laurinaitis has always been a weasel. Not surprised he's a pervert too. Even his own brother didn't like him.
 

Sheppy

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When Stephanie was pregnant, Vince pitched an angle to her about being the father.

He’s such a f***ed up, greasy asshole.
 

Raymondo316

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Vince McMahon, World Wrestling Entertainment Inc.’s longtime leader, agreed to pay more than $12 million over the past 16 years to suppress allegations of sexual misconduct and infidelity, an amount far larger than previously known.

The payouts went to four women, all formerly affiliated with WWE, who signed agreements with Mr. McMahon that prohibit them from discussing potential legal claims against or their relationships with the 76-year-old executive, according to people familiar with the deals as well as documents reviewed by The Wall Street Journal.

The previously unreported settlements include a $7.5 million pact with a former wrestler who alleged that Mr. McMahon coerced her into giving him oral sex and then demoted her and, ultimately, declined to renew her contract in 2005 after she resisted further sexual encounters, according to people familiar with the matter. The wrestler and her attorney approached Mr. McMahon in 2018 and negotiated the payment in return for her silence, the people said.

In another previously unreported deal, a WWE contractor presented the company with unsolicited nude photos of Mr. McMahon she reported receiving from him and alleged that he had sexually harassed her on the job, according to people familiar with the woman’s 2008 nondisclosure agreement. Mr. McMahon agreed to pay her roughly $1 million, these people said.


And in a 2006 agreement, a former manager who had worked 10 years for Mr. McMahon before he allegedly initiated a sexual relationship with her was paid $1 million to keep quiet about it, according to people familiar with the deal.

The Journal previously reported about a $3 million hush pact reached in January between Mr. McMahon and a former WWE paralegal with whom he allegedly had an affair, citing documents and the people familiar with the matter. WWE’s board is investigating Mr. McMahon’s agreement with the former paralegal, and the 2018 deal with the former wrestler, people familiar with the inquiry said.

The board also is investigating allegations that WWE executive John Laurinaitis had a sexual relationship with the same former paralegal, according to people familiar with the inquiry. Additionally, the board is looking at a $1.5 million nondisclosure agreement reached in 2012 with an employee involving misconduct claims against Mr. Laurinaitis, these people said.

Mr. Laurinaitis, a former wrestler known as Johnny Ace, had been head of WWE talent relations for eight years when he was forced to step down in 2012 and take a smaller role at the company. His demotion came around the same time as the $1.5 million deal with the employee, who alleged she had an affair with Mr. Laurinaitis and that he demoted her after she broke it off, people familiar with the nondisclosure agreement said.

Mr. McMahon had restored Mr. Laurinaitis as head of talent relations last year. WWE has since placed Mr. Laurinaitis on administrative leave, a person familiar with the matter said

The Journal couldn’t determine whether the board probe includes the nondisclosure agreements involving the contractor and the former manager, or how far back the investigation will go. A spokesman for the board’s independent directors declined to comment.

Neither Mr. Laurinaitis nor an attorney for Mr. McMahon responded to requests for comment.

The company is cooperating with the board inquiry, a WWE spokesman said. Mr. McMahon’s relationship with the former paralegal was consensual, the spokesman said, adding that the company is taking the allegations seriously.

In a June 8 letter to the Journal, Mr. McMahon’s attorney, Jerry McDevitt, said that the former paralegal hadn’t made any claims of harassment against Mr. McMahon and that “WWE did not pay any monies” to the ex-employee “on her departure.”

The investigation by the board’s outside counsel at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP was triggered by a series of anonymous emails that directors received earlier this year, the Journal reported. The emails, reviewed by the Journal, described Mr. McMahon’s deal with the former paralegal and alleged that he and Mr. Laurinaitis took advantage of her.

 

GKJ

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Waiting for them to announce that Vince is showing up on Smackdown tonight
 

CDJ

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Hell baby
Maria Kanellis was right when she commented on Carano being fired. This isn’t a Mark Carano issue, this is company wide and starts from the top down
 
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