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WWE executive Stephanie McMahon, the daughter of chairman Vince McMahon and wife of legendary wrestler and fellow executive Paul 'Triple H' Levesque, announced her decision to take "a leave of absence" from the company effective on Friday (May 20).
"As of tomorrow, I am taking a leave of absence from the majority of my responsibilities at WWE," McMahon tweeted on Thursday (May 19). "WWE is a lifelong legacy for me and I look forward to returning to the company that I love after taking this time to focus on my family."
WWE president and chief revenue officer Nick Khan will reportedly "be taking over most of Stephanie McMahon's duties in her absence," multiple sources "at WWE" confirmed to Wrestlenomics' Brandon Thurston.
WWE's corporate page officially lists McMahon as the company's "chief brand officer."
"In this role, she is responsible for ensuring WWE’s global brand strength and growth across all lines of business," the website states. "Stephanie oversees WWE’s Brand, Marketing, Creative Services, Community Relations and Pop Culture strategies as well as WWE’s Global Sales and Partnerships Division."
McMahon's decision comes several months after her husband experienced a cardiac event last September, which led to his official retirement from in-ring competition, as well as a temporary absence from his full-time executive role.
Wrestling Observer Newsletter's Dave Meltzer confirmed McMahon took on her husband's responsibilities in his absence and Levesque has since returned full-time.
Additionally, Meltzer reported that McMahon made the decision to take a leave of absence herself and had planned to for some time.
McMahon has served as a public face of WWE and a member of its Board of Directors aside her father, Vince, for nearly two decades, owning a 2.5% share of the WWE stock, which is currently valued at around $116 million, as well as serving an on-screen authority figure for WWE television at varying times during that span.
McMahon's announcement also comes months after reports that her brother, Shane, was "out of WWE" following his Royal Rumble match appearance.