Who is Linda McMahon? Meet billionaire wrestling mogul married to WWE founder who Donald Trump picked to be his new education secretary

• e-mail

Donald Trump has made another shock nomination for his next Cabinet by opting to name Linda McMahon as his education secretary. 

McMahon was initially considered as a leading contender to head the Department of Commerce following Trump's election victory.

However, the 76-year-old eventually lost out on that particular position to Cantor Fitzgerald CEO Howard Lutnick. 

While she has been nominated for the position of education secretary, her upcoming post will still need to be confirmed by the Senate.

But who exactly is Linda McMahon? Read on below for everything you need to know about Trump's latest Cabinet nominee.  

Who is Linda McMahon? 

Linda McMahon speaks during an America First Policy Institute gala at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate on November 14 in Palm Beach, Florida

McMahon was born Linda Marie Edwards in New Bern, North Carolina, on October 4 1948 into a Welsh-American family.

She grew up in a conservative Baptist family, but chose to convert to Roman Catholicism in later on her life. 

She enrolled at East Carolina University in 1966, where she obtained a Bachelor's degree in French, along with teaching qualifications.

What is Linda McMahon's connection to WWE?

Linda McMahon and Vince McMahon attend the New York Moves Magazine's 10th Anniversary Power Women Gala at the Grand Hyatt New York on November 14 2013 in New York City

Linda's connection to WWE comes through her husband Vince McMahon, who made a name for himself as a prominent professional wrestling promoter. 

This saw him co-found World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), which became a behemoth in the industry and a global cultural giant.

After meeting as teenagers, Linda dated Vince McMahon while the pair were in high school - as she attended Havelock High School in North Carolina while he attended Fishburne Military School in Virginia.

In 1966, at the age of just 17 after graduating high school, Linda would marry Vince McMahon who was himself only 21 years old at the time. 

They have two children together - Shane, their first child, who was born in 1970, and Stephanie, who was born in 1976. 

Despite never having been officially divorced, wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer noted: 'Technically they're married [but] they haven't been together in a long, long time,' via Sportskeeda. 

Linda McMahon became president of the organisation in 1993 before being promoted to the role of CEO in 1997.

One of her major interests in WWF and WWE was product merchandising, which saw her negotiate many of the company's business deals and create the company's first line of action figures, Wrestling Superstars, in 1984. 

It was a first in the wrestling industry and helped expand the company's popularity with children. 

She was also the primary negotiator for the World Wrestling Federation's 2000 TV deal with Viacom. 

McMahon stepped down from her position as the CEO of WWE in 2009 to try her hand at politics. 

This saw her serve on the Connecticut Board of Education for a year, during which time she spoke of her desire to explore the education sector and become a teacher.

What relationship does Linda McMahon have with Donald Trump?

Donald Trump speaks at a press conference with Linda McMahon during her time as head of Small Business Administration on March 29 2019 during the former's first term in office

McMahon headed up the Small Business Administration (SBA) in Trump's first administration and was a major donor and early supporter of the Republican president-elect when he first ran for the White House almost a decade ago.

McMahon also provided $6million to help Trump's candidacy after he secured the Republican presidential nomination in 2016. 

The co-founder and former CEO of the WWE resigned from the SBA in 2019 to lead the pro-Trump spending group America First Action.

Unlike other members of Trump's first administration, McMahon's role was not overshadowed by any controversy, as she frequently promoted his trade and tax policies.

After she left the administration in 2019, Trump said: 'She has been a superstar. The fact is, I've known her for a long time. 

'I knew she was good, but I didn't know she was that good.'

Since then, she has gone on to chair the America First Policy Institute, a Trump-friendly think tank.

What are Linda McMahon's credentials for education secretary?

Linda McMahon speaks during the last day of the 2024 Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on July 18 2024

In 2010, McMahon ran as the Republican nominee for US Senate in Connecticut but ended up losing the election to Democrat Richard Blumenthal.

Aside from this, she is viewed as a relative unknown in education circles, although she has previously expressed support for charter schools and school choice.

One of her biggest tasks as education secretary will be to eliminate the agency she was hired to oversee. 

This is because Trump has promised to close the Education Department and return much of its powers to states. 

However, he has not explained how he would close the agency, which was created by Congress in 1979 and would likely require action from Congress to dismantle.