The $250,000 Mistake Vince McMahon Couldn’t Escape

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Although Vince McMahon had an undeniable level of business success in his career, it’s equally impossible to deny that he made more than a few missteps. From his XFL investment to the sex trafficking scandal that caused him to step down from WWE, many of McMahon’s trials and tribulations are well-covered territory. However, one mistake that isn’t brought up as often is McMahon’s short-lived partnership with stunt driver Evil Knievel, which wound up costing him $250,000.

In 1974, years before buying his father’s wrestling promotion, 28-year-old Vince McMahon was one of several promoters contacted by Knievel about a possible business opportunity. Knievel, who has a reputation as something of a hustler, convinced McMahon and others to front the money for his latest stunt jump, which would feature Knievel riding in a steam-powered rocket across a place called Snake River Canyon in Idaho.

Vince still worked for his father, Vince McMahon Sr., who wasn’t as confident in the idea as his son. Vince Sr. got boxing promoter Bob Arum involved to help ensure things went as smoothly as possible, but it wasn’t enough.

On the day of the jump, the rocket failed, with Knievel launching out almost immediately and landing safely via parachute. Though McMahon and his associates organized live attendance and closed circuit broadcasts around the country, both underperformed, and McMahon was one of the only major figures involved who wasn’t guaranteed a cut.

In the end, he reportedly lost a quarter of a million dollars in the venture while both Arum and Knievel profited. The mistake undoubtedly served as a costly lesson for the future promoter, teaching him that he’d have to choose his investments a little more carefully in the future.

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