Leaked Nick Khan Voicemail Reveals Stephanie McMahon Opposed Vince’s Return and WWE Sale

A leaked voicemail featuring WWE President Nick Khan has surfaced, offering a rare behind-the-scenes look at the internal tension that surrounded the 2023 sale of WWE to Endeavor Group Holdings — and revealing that Stephanie McMahon pushed back against both her father’s comeback and the decision to sell the company.

In the recording, Khan recalled Stephanie actively discouraging Vince McMahon from returning to WWE in a leadership capacity, saying she saw no reason to pursue a sale. In his own words: “I remember Stephanie discouraging her dad from coming back as the CEO because we didn’t know what role he was going to come back in, and I remember her expressing that there was no need to sell the company if that’s what he was contemplating.”

Her objections ultimately didn’t carry the day. Vince McMahon, who had stepped away from WWE in 2022 amid a wave of personal and legal controversies, leveraged his voting power to engineer his own return in January 2023. Reports from that period indicated he made clear he could block any potential sale or media rights agreements if he wasn’t reinstated. Once back in the fold, he moved quickly, identifying Endeavor Group Holdings and its leadership as his preferred partners.

A separate piece of audio also captured McMahon himself reflecting on the Endeavor discussions: “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. 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.”

Shortly after Vince’s return was confirmed, Stephanie McMahon stepped down from her roles as co-CEO and Chairwoman of WWE, ending her executive chapter with the company as the Endeavor sale moved toward completion.

The leaked materials paint a picture of a family deeply divided over the future of the business — and one where Vince McMahon’s determination to sell ultimately overrode the concerns of those closest to him.