Ex-WWE owner Vince McMahon paid out £12.15m in hush money to several women as ‘hidden expenses’ emerge after retirement

WWE admitted that former Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon paid out £12.15m in “unrecorded expenses” amid sexual misconduct allegations.

That is according to the New York Post, who claim that was hush money paid to several women who have alleged sexual misconduct between 2006 and 2022.

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The wrestling giants confirmed in an SEC filing that a sum of “unrecorded expenses” does exist and that they will revise previous financial statements to reflect the expenditures.

It is not yet confirmed what the unrecorded expenses relate to.

The Wall Street Journal revealed last month that the WWE board is investigating McMahon after receiving an anonymous tip via email claiming he paid hush money to an ex-employee with whom he had an affair.

The email claimed he hired the woman as a paralegal to a $100,000 (£83,000) salary, and doubled it after the affair began.

Then it was claimed McMahon “gave her like a toy” to long-time WWE executive John Laurinaitis.

The Wall Street Journal later alleged that McMahon paid millions over the course of at least 16 years to four different women with whom he had sexual relationships.

McMahon retired from WWE’s creative control after the allegations surfaced but appears to remain as the company’s majority shareholder.

WWE said in the filing: “All payments underlying the Unrecorded Expenses were or will be paid by Vince McMahon personally.”

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The company added that it “has also received, and may receive in the future, regulatory, investigative and enforcement inquiries, subpoenas or demands arising from, related to, or in connection with these matters.”

The SEC filing also admitted that the probe will likely conclude that its “internal control over financial reporting was not effective as a result of one or more material weaknesses.”

McMahon has handed control of the company over to his daughter Stephanie, who was named Chairwoman and co-CEO, alongside co-CEO Nick Khan.