A new report seemingly confirms an ongoing rumor that AEW CEO Tony Khan does not have 100% ownership of the company he has funded.
While wrestling greats like Kenny Omega, Cody Rhodes, and the Young Bucks were the driving force behind the creation of All Elite Wrestling, they could not form the promotion on their own. That is where Khan came in. The son of billionaire Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shahid Khan was the person who had the money to help fund the pro wrestling startup in 2019.
However, with funding the operation, he also attained ownership of the brand. While Omega, Rhodes, the Bucks, and also Adam Page were given roles as vice presidents and helped to run the operation, Khan was the ultimate decision-maker due to his ownership of the company.
WBD owns a minority stake in AEW
Yet, after Khan negotiated the brand’s first television deal with Warner Bros./Discovery, there were rumblings that it came with some backstage influence on the wrestling company. That speculation intensified in 2024 when AEW agreed to a new deal with WBD worth over $500 million.
Well, a new report seems to confirm that the entertainment giant does have some control over AEW. According to a new article from CNN about AEW unexpectedly being involved in some Americans’ frustration with ongoing ICE raids, it is mentioned that “Warner Bros. Discovery, CNN’s parent corporation, owns a minority stake in AEW.”
The report will add more fuel to recent rumors that WBD asked for Brody King not to appear on a recent edition of AEW: Dynamite after “F*** ICE” chants rang out during his last match. The company has since denied the claims.
It’s unclear if a minority stake was part of the most recent TV deal AEW agreed to or if it happened even earlier than that. Either way, the entertainment giant does have more of an influence on the wrestling company than fans realized.
