John Cena has shared details of a past incident where he engaged in a venture without informing WWE Chairman Vince McMahon, describing it as a direct violation of trust. Speaking with Wild Card with Rachel Martin, Cena was asked about pursuing career opportunities that conflicted with his personal values.
Cena responded affirmatively, stating that such situations are his most teachable moments, often accompanied by guilt and shame. He emphasized the importance of integrity over financial gain, noting that people can often see through actions not aligned with one's true self.
The wrestling icon revealed that the specific incident involved an entrepreneurial social network startup. Cena admitted to not telling his boss about his potential involvement, which he recognized as a team decision and a potential leveraging of his intellectual property. He acknowledged the deep trust he had with McMahon, describing him as more than just a boss.
I was just trying to get more money, simply. I have my own philosophy on social networks. I’m very limited in my use by design, so it’s not something I’m interested in. I’m not too fond of limited-access stuff, and this was a curated idea. It seemed nice, but I looked at the projections.
Upon discovering the situation, McMahon, according to Cena, handled it with patience and tolerance. Cena recounted that McMahon walked him through the potential ramifications of his actions, a process that quickly led Cena to realize his mistake. He immediately withdrew from the startup.
Man, my boss found out, and to be honest, he was great. He was great. He walked me through it. ‘Okay, this is the choice you’ve made. Let’s walk through all the tentacles of what might happen.’ It was a direct violation of trust with somebody I had worked with for years, and he had invested years in trusting me, too.But he didn’t. He had patience and tolerance, and I think, possibly as an entrepreneur himself, he tried to put himself in my shoes. He walked me through it, and it took five minutes or less to realize, ‘I’m such an idiot.’
I immediately called the company back and said, ‘I’m out. This isn’t for me.'”
