Linda and Vince McMahon disclose billion in assets

U.S. President Donald Trump greets Small Business Administration head Linda McMahon during an event celebrating Women's History Month, in the East Room at the White House March 29, 2017 in Washington, DC. U.S. President Donald Trump greets Small Business Administration head Linda McMahon during an event celebrating Women's History Month, in the East Room at the White House March 29, 2017 in Washington, DC. Photo: Mark Wilson / Getty Images Photo: Mark Wilson / Getty Images Image 1 of / 27 Caption Close Linda and Vince McMahon disclose billion in assets 1 / 27 Back to Gallery

In the case of Linda McMahon and Donald Trump, it takes a billionaire to know a billionaire.

In a joint financial disclosure filing, the Small Business Administration head and her wrestling mogul husband, Vincent McMahon, reported between $938 million and $1.1 billion in real estate, WWE stock and other assets that include hedge fund investments.

The 32-page filing provides a unique glimpse at the couple’s vast empire, from their $8 million Greenwich estate with nearby polo field access to a $3 million penthouse in the aptly-named Trump Parc luxury condominium high-rise in Stamford.

It also illustrates the lengths that Linda McMahon has gone to unwind herself from the WWE and other financial interests that could expose her to potential conflicts, a frequent criticism of Trump. The lion’s share of assets is listed under her husband’s name in the disclosure form, which are required for Cabinet appointees and give a range for asset values. McMahon filed the disclosure form December and it was certified by the Office of Government Ethics in January.

Some wondered whether McMahon could completely wall herself off from her family’s business ventures, however.

“Just transferring your title to your spouse by itself is not going to be a protection against the appearance of a conflict,” said Scott McLean, a political science professor at Quinnipiac University in Hamden

More Information Municipal bond holdings of Vince McMahon: Danbury: $1M to $5M New Milford: $500,000 to $1M Wilton: $400,000 to $1M Norwalk: $1.5M to $6M Newtown: $500,000 to $1M Southington: $250,000 to $500,000 Glastonbury: $500,000 to $1M Source: U.S. Office of Government Ethics

A request for comment was left Tuesday at the Small Business Administration for McMahon, who was confirmed by the Senate to lead the agency in February.

The couple doesn’t seem to be any worse for the wear from her self-funded back-to-back bids for the U.S. Senate in 2010 and 2012, which cost a staggering $100 million.

The couple has as much as $12 million stashed between 10 different U.S. bank accounts under Vince McMahon’s name. That doesn’t count the $25 million to $50 million he has socked away in a Morgan Stanley money market account.

The McMahons’ fortune is tied up mainly in WWE stock, with Vince McMahon owning 35,533,375 shares worth about $782 million. Linda McMahon claimed no stock ownership in WWE on her financial disclosure form. But in a March proxy filing by the Stamford-based company, McMahon was still listed as owning 1.5 percent of the WWE shares. A request for comment explaining the discrepancy was left Tuesday with the company.

In addition to their Connecticut real estate, the couple owns residential properties in New York City, Las Vegas and Boca Raton, Fla. The first address, which public records show as a TriBeCa loft, is worth between $5 million and $25 million.

The snapshot of the couple’s portfolio revealed another key trend — that they are major players in the public bond market. They reported owning between $4.7 million and $15.5 million in general obligation bonds for seven cities and towns in Connecticut. Those were led by Norwalk ($1.5 million to $6 million) and Danbury ($1 million to $5 million).

Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton, who is exploring a run for governor and was on the same GOP ticket as McMahon in 2010, said bond auctions are a blind process.

“It’s probably the best investment they’ll ever make,” Boughton said. “Their fund adviser is probably invested in banks that are invested in us. It’s a good sign that they believe in Connecticut and are willing to invest their money.”

McMahon was not required to include her children as asset holders on her financial disclosure form, but it does show that Vince McMahon made a $5 million to $25 million personal loan to an unspecified family member that the couple counted as an asset.

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