Claim: Kurt Angle is an actor.

World Wrestling Entertainment , Inc. -LRB- d/b/a WWE -RRB- is an American publicly traded , privately controlled entertainment company that deals primarily in professional wrestling , with revenue also coming from film , music , video games , product licensing , and direct product sales .   WWE also refers to the professional wrestling promotion itself , founded by Jess McMahon and Toots Mondt in 1952 as Capitol Wrestling Corporation Ltd. . As of 2016 , it is the largest wrestling promotion in the world , holding over 500 events a year -LRB- with the roster divided up into various globally traveling brands -RRB- , and broadcasting to about 36 million viewers in more than 150 countries . The company 's global headquarters is located in Stamford , Connecticut , with offices in major cities across the world .   As in other professional wrestling promotions , WWE shows are not legitimate contests , but purely entertainment-based , featuring storyline-driven , scripted , and choreographed matches , though they often include moves that can put performers at risk of injury if not performed correctly . This was first publicly acknowledged by WWE 's owner Vince McMahon in 1989 to avoid taxes from athletic commissions . Since the 1980s , WWE publicly has branded their product as sports entertainment , acknowledging the product 's roots in competitive sport and dramatic theater .   The company 's majority owner is its chairman and CEO , Vince McMahon . Along with his wife Linda , children Shane and Stephanie , and son-in-law Paul `` Triple H '' Levesque , the McMahon family holds approximately 70 % of WWE 's equity and 96 % of the voting power . As of August 2014 , Eminence Capital , a New York-based hedge fund , acquired a 9.6 % stake in WWE while the McMahon family retains 90.4 % interest .   The current entity , incorporated on February 21 , 1980 , was previously known as Titan Sports , Inc. , which was founded in 1979 in South Yarmouth , Massachusetts . It acquired Capitol Wrestling Corporation , the holding company for the World Wrestling Federation , in 1982 . Titan was renamed World Wrestling Federation , Inc. in 1998 , then World Wrestling Federation Entertainment , Inc. in 1999 , and finally the current World Wrestling Entertainment , Inc. in 2002 . Since 2011 , the company has officially branded itself solely as WWE though the company 's legal name was not changed .