Vince McMahon reached a last-minute settlement to avoid a trial over the 2023 merger of WWE and UFC, a case which risked making information about his sexual misconduct allegations and hush money scandals public.
The trial, which was supposed to start Monday in Delaware’s Chancery Court, has been canceled because the parties agreed to a settlement in principle, a source familiar with the matter tells Front Office Sports. An attorney for the plaintiffs confirmed to FOS that a settlement has been reached but declined to comment further because the “details aren’t public yet.”
Bloomberg Law first reported the parties had settled.
The lawsuit from WWE stockholders was first filed in 2023, following WWE’s $21 billion merger with UFC parent Endeavor that formed TKO Group Holdings. The suit claimed McMahon steered WWE toward a deal with Endeavor over other potential suitors who would have perhaps paid more because he believed Ari Emanuel, then CEO of Endeavor, would allow him to maintain financial benefits and control over WWE. Other bidders could have forced McMahon out due to sexual misconduct and settlement payment scandals, according to the suit. Emanuel is now CEO and executive chairman of TKO.
