At a Glance
- Vince and Linda McMahon’s children, Shane (born 1970) and Stephanie (born 1976), both climbed WWE’s corporate ladder.
- Shane left WWE in 2010, returned in 2016, then exited again; Stephanie resigned as chairwoman in January 2023.
- Why it matters: The siblings’ careers mirror WWE’s power shifts and their father’s legal turmoil.
Vince and Linda McMahon built a wrestling empire and raised two heirs who once seemed destined to inherit it: Shane and Stephanie McMahon. Each held executive roles, weathered boardroom battles, and now face very different futures inside-and outside-the ring.
Shane McMahon: The Rebel Heir
Shane entered the world on January 15, 1970, and by his late 20s was already calling matches as a referee and announcer. He fronted the debut episode of Sunday Night Heat in 1999, then moved up the corporate ranks.
In 2010 he shocked the industry by walking away.
> “It was a really hard decision for me to leave the only thing that I love and the only business I ever wanted to work in in my life,” Shane said in the 2024 Netflix docuseries Mr. McMahon. “But my dad, especially then, was strong at the helm, and I was like, ‘Well, if this is the time for me to go try certain things, then that’s the time.'”
He spent six years on outside ventures before returning in February 2016 as commissioner of SmackDown LIVE. Around that time he also shared a rare family moment at WrestleMania 32, jogging to the ring with his three sons-Declan (b. 2004), Kenyon (b. 2006), and Rogan (b. 2010)-before facing The Undertaker.
> “It’s an experience I will never, ever forget in my life,” he told ESPN’s SportsCenter. “Imagine that, that you get to have your three sons a part of one of the greatest entertainment spectaculars of all time.”
Shane and wife Marissa Mazzola-McMahon, whom he married in the late 1990s, keep their family life largely private; his current WWE status is not specified.
Stephanie McMahon Levesque: From Model to CEO
Stephanie arrived on September 24, 1976, and her first WWE “gig” was modeling T-shirts in the WWE Shop catalog while still in middle school. She later tackled creative writing, became head writer, and eventually chief brand officer. Inside the ring she captured the Women’s Championship in 2000.
Her corporate ascent accelerated in June 2022 when a Wall Street Journal investigation reported that Vince had paid millions to suppress sexual-misconduct claims. Stephanie stepped in as chairwoman and co-CEO.
The arrangement lasted only months. Vince returned in January 2023; Stephanie resigned the same month.
> “I look forward to cheering on WWE from the other side of the business, where I started when I was a little kid, as a pure fan,” she wrote on X.
Vince ultimately resigned in January 2024 after a Connecticut federal lawsuit accused him of sex trafficking and sexual assault; the case is ongoing. Linda, now U.S. Secretary of Education, confirmed in November 2024 that she and Vince had separated.
Love in the Ring
Stephanie’s personal life intertwines with WWE storylines. She met Paul “Triple H” Levesque through work, initially as an on-screen pairing. At the December 1999 pay-per-view Armageddon, Triple H battled Vince while Stephanie sided with the wrestler.
Off-screen romance bloomed behind the scripts.
> “I was forbidden to date any of the wrestlers, and [Triple H] was flirtatious with me,” Stephanie recalled in the 2013 documentary Triple H – Thy Kingdom Come. “I would think like, ‘No, he’s not being flirtatious, ’cause this is forbidden. He’s not really flirting. He’s just doing the storyline.'”
They married in October 2003 and have three daughters: Aurora Rose, Murphy Claire, and Vaughn Evelyn. Stephanie insists any future McMahon-Levesque generation must earn its spot.
> “I believe in a strong work ethic, and I believe they can do anything in the world they wanna do, but they’re gonna have to believe in themselves and work hard,” she said on First Things First in October 2019.
Back to the Spotlight
Stephanie re-entered the WWE orbit in April 2025, launching the podcast What’s Your Story?, interviewing sports, entertainment, and business leaders. The show marks her first official affiliation since resigning as chairwoman.
Shane’s next move remains unannounced. Their father’s legal battles continue, and WWE-now part of TKO Group Holdings-operates under new leadership. Yet the McMahon name still carries weight, and the siblings’ careers serve as living history of a family dynasty that once ruled the squared circle.
Key Takeaways
- Both Shane and Stephanie held top WWE posts, proving the family’s grip on the business.
- Vince advised against mixing family and business; the explosion he predicted reshaped WWE’s boardroom.
- Stephanie’s 2025 podcast signals a cautious return; Shane’s future inside WWE is unclear.
