In a move that screams, “I’m not guilty, but here’s a check anyway,” former WWE mastermind Vince McMahon has settled with the SEC for a hefty $1.7 million over hush-money agreements tied to sexual assault allegations. And no, this isn’t part of a “WrestleMania: Legal Edition” storyline—this is real life, folks.
The Breakdown: Fines, Reimbursements, and Financial Shenanigans
McMahon will fork over $400,000 as a civil penalty (essentially the SEC’s way of saying “bad billionaire, no dessert”) and will reimburse WWE $1.3 million for what we’ll call “oopsie expenses.” But let’s not forget the real kicker: the $3 million and $7.5 million payments McMahon failed to disclose to a former employee and a female independent contractor, respectively. Those undisclosed payments led WWE to overstate its net income in 2018 and 2021. Basically, the math wasn’t mathing.
The SEC, ever the stickler for detail, noted that McMahon bypassed WWE’s internal accounting controls, causing financial statements as accurate as a blindfolded dart throw.
The Legal Hits Keep Coming
While this settlement clears one hurdle, McMahon still faces a much bigger and messier opponent: an ongoing sex trafficking lawsuit filed by former WWE employee Janel Grant. Let’s just say this legal saga isn’t tapping out anytime soon.
WrestleCoincidence or Planned Strategy?
Interestingly, McMahon agreed to this settlement without admitting or denying the SEC’s findings. Translation: “I’ll write the check, but I still get to claim innocence at Thanksgiving dinner.” Classic Vince. Meanwhile, he previously reimbursed WWE $17.4 million in 2023 for investigative costs related to sexual misconduct allegations. With numbers like that, it’s a wonder he hasn’t pitched “Money in the Bank: Courtroom Edition.”