Pro wrestling’s Vince McMahon announced his retirement from the WWE on Friday, a month after stepping back from his leadership role as the company investigates misconduct claims against him.
In a tweet posted at 4:05 p.m. EDT, the 77-year-old McMahon simply said it was “time foe me to retire” as he thanked the “WWE Universe.”
In a statement released through WWE, McMahon thanked co-workers, fans and family.
“As I approach 77 years old, I feel it’s time for me to retire as Chairman and CEO of WWE,” he said.
“Throughout the years, it’s been a privilege to help WWE bring you joy, inspire you, thrill you, surprise you, and always entertain you.”
Back on June 17, McMahon had surrendered his CEO role as the WWE board of directors appointed McMahon’s daughter, Stephanie McMahon, as interim CEO and chairwoman until the probe’s conclusion.
The WWE board said then it is investigating both the elder McMahon and John Laurinaitis, head of talent relations, for “alleged misconduct” — but did not detail any of the accusations.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the WWE board wants to know if McMahon paid a former employee $3 million so she’d keep quiet about an affair the two had.
The ongoing probe is also looking into allegations of other nondisclosure agreements involving former female WWE employees and Laurinaitis, the newspaper reported.
Few CEOs are as closely associated with a product as McMahon is to pro wrestling. He had frequently appeared in WWE broadcasts and is said to have had almost total control over scripts and storylines.
McMahon said Friday he’s confident co-CEOs Stephanie McMahon and Nick Khan will maintain the product’s quality.
“Our global audience can take comfort in knowing WWE will continue to entertain you with the same fervor, dedication, and passion as always,” according to the elder McMahon. “I am extremely confident in the continued success of WWE.”
This is a developing story, please refresh here for updates.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
