While appearing on Ariel Helwani’s show, Ric Flair didn’t hold back when reflecting on his relationship with Vince McMahon, offering strong praise while also opening up about a deeply personal financial chapter in his life.
Flair made it clear that, in his view, McMahon’s impact on the wrestling business is undeniable.
“Everybody in the world that likes wrestling should be thanking Vince McMahon.”
Despite their long history, Flair admitted the two have not spoken recently, suggesting he has chosen to give McMahon space amid everything going on.
“No, I have not. I feel like there’s so much going on that I would be wasting his time. He knows how I feel about him.”
The conversation then shifted to a long discussed story involving a significant loan McMahon once gave him. Flair pushed back on years of speculation, clarifying the real reason behind it and stressing that the narrative often told publicly is inaccurate.
“He lent me $800 grand, and unlike what people portray, it was not for the IRS. It was to help me get through three divorces at one time.”
Flair went on to explain that repaying that money came with serious financial consequences, particularly when it came to taxes, but he stood firm on his decision to return every dollar.
“The thing of it is, they hate hearing this, I paid him back every dime. When he called me and said, ‘I can write this off.’ I paid him back because I didn’t want to let him down.”
He also revealed that the situation followed him into later contract negotiations, becoming a sticking point that frustrated him years after the fact.
“But they used that against me when we when I would negotiate a contract, I’d go, ‘Ric, that’s old news.’ Well, it ain’t old news.”
Flair added more context on just how difficult the aftermath was financially, describing the burden of dealing with taxes tied to what he called “phantom income,” which took years to resolve.
“You know how hard it is to pay taxes on $800 grand in phantom income tax and phantom income? It took me five years to get out of that hole. All because I paid him back.”
In a striking detail, Flair recalled using one of his biggest paydays to settle the debt, tying it back to one of the most iconic matches of his career.
“Took my WrestleMania check, gave it to me. I signed it and gave it back to him.”
Even then, McMahon reportedly told him it was unnecessary, but Flair insisted on honoring his word.
“He said, ‘You don’t have to do that.’ I said, ‘I told you I’d pay you back. I’m paying you back.’”
Flair confirmed the repayment came shortly after his retirement match against Shawn Michaels in 2008, closing the chapter on a story that continues to follow him to this day.
“Everybody in the world who likes wrestling should be thanking Vince McMahon… He knows how I feel about him.
He lent me $800k, and unlike what people portray, it was not for the IRS. It was to help me get through three divorces at one time.
I paid him back every dime. You know… pic.twitter.com/qsH7ddvYaK
, Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) April 22, 2026