Tony Khan Placed A $6.9 Billion Bid to Buy WWE In 2023

Tony Khan legit put in a bid to buy WWE in 2023. According to recent legal filings, a company tied directly to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) submitted a formal, multi-billion-dollar bid to purchase WWE. The idea that the backers of AEW attempted to buy out their biggest competition sounds like a scripted television storyline, but the financial filings prove it was a very real boardroom maneuver.

If you follow the business of sports entertainment, this unredacted complaint offers a fascinating look behind the curtain. We are going to break down exactly who made the offer, how the numbers stacked up against the heavyweight buyers, and what this aggressive strategy means for the future of professional wrestling ownership.

The Bidding War That Shook Sports Entertainment

Following internal turmoil and unexpected leadership changes, WWE effectively put a “for sale” sign on its front lawn in 2023. The company was looking for a buyer with deep pockets and global reach. Industry insiders knew about several major players sitting at the negotiating table.

Publicly recognized bidders included massive private equity and media conglomerates like Liberty Media and KKR. These organizations certainly had the capital to make a serious play for the wrestling giant. However, the newly public court documents add a shocking fourth name to the mix: Base 10.

Unpacking the Base 10 Offer

The complaint explicitly ties Base 10 to the ownership group of All Elite Wrestling. While Tony Khan’s name does not appear directly in the public excerpts of the legal documents, the connection to AEW’s backers is undeniable.

Base 10 stepped into the ring with a formal bid of $6.9 billion. While that is a staggering amount of money for a sports property, it ultimately landed as the lowest of the four formal offers presented during the WWE sale process. The sheer audacity of a rival promotion’s financial backers attempting a hostile takeover of the industry leader highlights exactly how high the stakes were.

Why Endeavor Took the Championship Belt

While the Base 10 bid shows massive ambition from the AEW camp, it simply was not enough to secure the victory. Endeavor, the massive talent agency and parent company of the UFC, ultimately won the deal. Endeavor bought WWE for $9.3 billion.

Beyond the raw financial power of that bid, Endeavor offered a strategic alignment that the other competitors could not match. By merging WWE with the UFC, Endeavor created TKO Group Holdings, and also ensuring Vince remains in power, that move helps.

Why Tony Khan had No Chance Buying WWE

Let’s face the facts: Tony Khan had a 0.000000000001% chance of buying WWE, no matter how high his bid was. The reason why is because of two words, Vince McMahon. There was no chance Vince was going to sell to his competition, and he would only sell if he could remain in power in WWE. Tony Khan was obviously not going to do that, so Vince sold to Endeavor. He probably sill be in power if the JaNel Grant scandal hadn’t happened

Frequently Asked Questions

Did Tony Khan personally bid $6.9 billion?

Court documents identify “Base 10” as the bidding entity and link it directly to AEW ownership. Tony Khan’s specific name is not explicitly used in the currently unredacted excerpts, but the connection to the wrestling promotion’s backers is clearly established in the complaint.

How Much Did WWE Get Sold For?

WWE got sold for 9.3 Billion Dollars.

Why did Endeavor win the bidding process?

Endeavor’s offer was significantly higher than the Base 10 bid. Furthermore, Endeavor provided a unique strategic advantage by merging WWE with UFC, forming the highly lucrative TKO Group Holdings. That and Vince could still remain in power iin WWE.

Why its For The Best Tony Khan Didn’t Buy WWE

The discovery of the Base 10 bid adds a thrilling chapter to the history of sports entertainment. It proves that the rivalry between AEW and WWE extends far beyond television ratings and ticket sales—it reaches the highest levels of corporate finance.

Thinking it through, it’s for the best that Tony Khan did not buy WWE, because of one word. Monopoly. He would have a tremendous monopoly in the American wrestling scene if he bought in. The wrestling business is better with competition and the creation of AEW brought true competition to WWE, since WCW folded in 2001. I love Tony Khan as a promoter and a human being, but it’s for the best that he didn’t win the bid for WWE.