On January 10th Stephanie McMahon announced her resignation from WWE.
In a statement, McMahon stated that she was “proud” to have led the company and paid tribute to her now former co-CEO Nick Khan. In May 2022, the former Chief Brand Officer took a leave of absence from the company before returning a month later in the wake of the scandal surrounding her father.
However, on this occasion Stephanie has left the company altogether.
Nick Khan Acted As A Buffer Between Vince And Stephanie McMahon
Shortly after Stephanie McMahon announcer departure from the company it was confirmed that Vince McMahon was back as Executive Chairman. Interestingly, writing in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer has reported that the pair had “issues” in working together. This left Nick Khan acting as a buffer between the two. A role he also performed between Vince McMahon and Triple H.
“It was also conceded that she and Vince did have issues in working together as family members and how Khan was a buffer who kept things smooth between them as well as between Vince and Levesque [Triple H].
With Vince McMahon back as Executive Chairman reports began to swirl that the company had been sold to Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. Although it was later stated that no deal has been done, the interest from the Saudi concern is very real. Meltzer adds that some have attempted to link Stephanie’s exit with this interest.
“Some have tried to tie in Stephanie’s resignation to the fact that women are considered second-class in Saudi Arabia.”
It has also been reported elsewhere that Triple H and Stephanie McMahon opposed the idea of WWE being sold. While there have been suggestions that AEW owners Tony Khan and his father Shahid Khan are interested in making a bid for the company.