Linda McMahon is an American politician and business executive, born Linda Marie Edwards on October 4, 1948. She is known for her involvement in the professional wrestling industry and her subsequent political career.Early Life and Education: McMahon was born in New Bern, North Carolina, to a Welsh-American family. Her parents were employees at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point. She was an only child and grew up playing sports, such as basketball and baseball. She met her husband, Vince McMahon, at age 13 and married him shortly after graduating high school in 1966, at age 17. She attended East Carolina University, where she earned a bachelor's degree in French. The program was designed to prepare teachers for instruction.Early Career: In 1969, the McMahons moved to Maryland, where she worked as a receptionist at a law firm, translated French documents, and studied intellectual property rights. The couple struggled financially for several years and at one point received food stamps. They also filed for bankruptcy in 1976. In 1980, her husband founded Titan Sports, Inc., and she assisted with administration. The company would later become World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). Initially, McMahon had little interest in professional wrestling.World Wrestling Federation/World Wrestling Entertainment (WWF/WWE): McMahon co-founded Titan Sports, Inc., in 1980. She became president of the company in 1993 and CEO in 1997. She was instrumental in the company's growth, including product merchandising and negotiating business deals. She established the company's first line of action figures in 1984. She was the primary negotiator for the World Wrestling Federation's 2000 TV deal with Viacom. She initiated the company's civic programs, Get R.E.A.L. and SmackDown! Your Vote. McMahon was referred to by some workers in the company as the "co-chief executive". She resigned as CEO of WWE in 2009 to run for a seat in the U.S. Senate. She remains a minority owner of WWE.Controversies and Issues During Her Time at WWE: In 1989, she sent a memo to Pat Patterson directing him to fire a doctor and inform him of potential legal charges related to steroid distribution. This memo became known as the "Tip-Off Memo". Following the murder-suicide of Chris Benoit in 2007, McMahon testified before the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, which investigated steroid usage in the wrestling industry. In 2008, WWE changed its TV rating to TV-PG, which led to banning chair shots to the head, sex scenes, blood, and vulgar language. WWE classified its wrestlers as independent contractors rather than employees, which allowed the company to avoid paying certain taxes and benefits. In October 2024, McMahon was named as a defendant in a lawsuit, accusing her, her husband, and WWE of negligence regarding the "ring boys" scandal.On-Screen Roles and Charitable Work: McMahon occasionally appeared on-screen in WWE storylines. She and her husband made significant donations to The Donald J. Trump Foundation. She supported various organizations, such as the USO, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and the Special Olympics. She launched the Get R.E.A.L. program to promote literacy and the SmackDown! Your Vote campaign to encourage voter registration.Political Career: McMahon was appointed to the Connecticut State Board of Education in 2009. She resigned in 2010 due to state law restrictions related to campaign contributions. She ran for U.S. Senate in Connecticut in 2010 and 2012, losing both times. In 2016, she was nominated by Donald Trump to be the administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA). She served as the administrator of the SBA from 2017 to 2019. In 2024, she was nominated to be Secretary of Education in Trump's second administration.Other Information: McMahon has been a major Republican donor, giving to various groups and Super PACs. She is a supporter of school choice and charter schools. She has served on the board of trustees of Sacred Heart University. She was involved with the second Trump transition team. She received restricted shares of Trump Media stock and is an independent director of the company's board of directors.

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