New audio recordings have revealed what was being said behind the scenes before WWE’s sale to Endeavor. In private voice messages, Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel assured Vince McMahon that he would support him through his legal issues as they discussed the deal that later formed TKO Group Holdings.
POST Wrestling and Wrestlenomics’ Brandon Thurston obtained the audio through a Freedom of Information Act request. Earlier court documents only included written transcripts of the messages. The recordings were later submitted as evidence in the Delaware shareholder lawsuit challenging WWE’s sale to Endeavor.
Ari Emanuel offered support during Vince McMahon’s legal troubles
One of the voice messages dates back to September 16, 2022, just weeks after McMahon stepped away from WWE following allegations of sexual misconduct and reports that millions of dollars had been paid through nondisclosure agreements.
At the time, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) were investigating McMahon.
In the voicemail, Emanuel said he had spoken with lawyers at Latham & Watkins and believed their connections could help. He also told McMahon that Endeavor could indemnify him, saying,
“I spoke to my lawyer from Latham. Just FYI, everybody at the DOJ is former Latham lawyers. So on that side, it will be helpful. SEC, of course, is SEC, but that’s just the penalty. As it relates to everything else, yes, we can indemnify you, and we will,” Emanuel said.
Later, during a deposition related to the shareholder lawsuit, Emanuel denied that he or Endeavor had ever indemnified McMahon. Generally, indemnification means covering someone’s legal costs or financial liability in civil cases, not criminal matters.
The judge in the shareholder lawsuit later ruled that because some evidence had not been preserved, it should be assumed Emanuel’s offer influenced McMahon before WWE was sold. Although the case was later settled before trial, that finding remained part of the court record.
Another voicemail, recorded on September 19, 2022, shows Emanuel encouraging McMahon to meet in person to discuss the legal issues.
“I really do think that we all need to get together and talk through all the issues. Because I think whether it be the DOJ or anything, there’s ways around this to figure this out. And I don’t know what, you know, you’re hearing or thinking. So give me a call if you have five seconds,” Emanuel said.
Despite the federal investigations, McMahon was never criminally charged. He has continued to deny all allegations against him, including those made in former WWE employee Janel Grant’s lawsuit, which accuses him of sexual assault and trafficking.
The newly released recordings also include a voicemail McMahon left on December 13, 2022, for Jeff Sine of The Raine Group after meeting with Ari Emanuel, Mark Shapiro, Nick Khan, Stephanie McMahon, Triple H, and Linda McMahon at The Mark Hotel in New York.
According to court records, Stephanie McMahon reportedly urged her father not to return as WWE CEO or sell the company. Nick Khan later testified that Stephanie believed there was no reason to sell WWE if Vince planned to come back.
McMahon, however, sounded optimistic in the voicemail. He told Sine he believed moving forward with Endeavor was probably the best choice because it would “solve a lot of problems.”
“Hey, Jeff. It’s 10:13. Very good meeting with Ari and company. And I think and probably the best thing to do is to go forward with the deal with Ari. It solves a lot of problems. I, you know, again, together, I think it’s a stronger situation than either one of us on our own. But I’m pretty sure that’s the way I want to go now. It’s easier, faster and all that kind of stuff. So, let’s talk in the morning. And I didn’t commit to Ari, but let’s talk in the morning, and, and go. Jeff, thank you so much. Sorry to call so late,” Vince said.
WWE officially announced its merger with UFC on April 3, 2023, creating TKO Group Holdings. McMahon initially became Executive Chairman of TKO but stepped down after Janel Grant filed her lawsuit in 2024.
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