Subhojeet Mukherjee on October 2, 2025
Linda McMahon, co-founder of WWE and longtime business partner to Vince McMahon, is finally revealing just how close they came to losing everything before WWE became the global juggernaut it is today. In an interview with Sage Steele, Linda detailed the early financial collapse that pushed the McMahon family into bankruptcy—while she was pregnant with Stephanie McMahon.
The setback didn’t come from wrestling. At the time, WWE (then WWF) was gaining traction as Vince and Linda looked to take the company national. But outside advice led them in a direction that nearly destroyed their future.
Linda recalled that an accountant convinced them they were too heavily invested in one venture and should diversify. The McMahons agreed and put money into a construction business they didn’t understand. That decision backfired hard.
“No, because we were building as we went,” Linda said when asked if she feared WWE would fail. “However, during that time, we did have an accountant who suggested that we were putting all of our eggs in one basket, and we should diversify a little bit. He made some suggestions that we should invest in a construction company.”
Trusting the expert advice, the McMahons co-signed on loans and poured money into the venture. But things quickly spiraled.
“We knew absolutely nothing about it. We put money into some construction accounts, co-signed on some loans. That went belly up, which eventually put us into bankruptcy.”
The fallout was devastating. Linda described losing their home and car, all while she was expecting their daughter Stephanie.
“It wasn’t the wrestling side of what we were doing, but it was the other side that we invested in, outside of what we were doing with wrestling. We lost everything. My house was auctioned off. My car was repossessed in the driveway. I was pregnant with Stephanie. I know what it’s like to lose everything.”
Despite that crushing blow, the McMahons didn’t give up. They rebuilt from nothing and went on to revolutionize professional wrestling through the WWE. Linda later became a major figure in public service, serving as the Administrator of the Small Business Administration from 2017 to 2019.
This rare glimpse into Linda’s past shows the staggering personal cost behind WWE’s rise—and how easily it could’ve all ended before it even started.
What do you think about Linda’s story? Should more wrestling executives be transparent about their struggles? Drop your thoughts in the comments below.
Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.
October 2, 2025 9:35 am
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