WORLD WRESTLING ENTERTAINMENT

WWE, also known by its legal name of World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company that deals primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing and direct product sales.

"WWE" also refers to the professional wrestling promotion itself, founded by Jess McMahon and Toots Mondt in 1952, and, as of 2011, the largest in the world, reaching 6 million viewers in the U.S, and approximately another 30 million worldwide by broadcasting its shows in more than 150 countries.

Like in other professional wrestling promotions, WWE shows are not legitimate sporting 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. WWE first acknowledged this publicly in 1981, breaking the gentlemen's agreement that previously existed among promoters.

Vince McMahon is the majority owner, chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of the company. Together with his wife Linda McMahon, and their children Shane McMahon and Stephanie McMahon, the McMahons hold approximately 70% of WWE's equity and 96% of the voting power in the company. The company's headquarters are located in Stamford, Connecticut and also has offices in New York City, Los Angeles, London, Shanghai, Tokyo, Singapore, and Mumbai.

The promotion was previously called the Capitol Wrestling Corporation (CWC), the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF), the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). Since 2011, the company has officially branded itself solely as "WWE", which is no longer an acronym, though the company's legal name was not changed.

http://www.wwe.com/