UFC head Dana White, strong Trump supporter, joins Meta's board of directors
FILE - UFC CEO Dana White and Mark Zuckerberg attend the UFC 300 event at T-Mobile Arena on April 13, 2024, in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images / Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO - Three new directors have been elected to Meta Platforms Inc., and among them is one strong Donald Trump supporter.
UFC CEO Dana White joins Meta’s board, as CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who is chairman and retains majority voting control, brings in someone who has been one of sports’ and media’s most influential executives for some time.
And it’s worth noting that White was on the campaign trail with the President-elect this past year, speaking at rallies and having him, along with a crew that includes Elon Musk, at UFC fight nights over the past few years.
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White showcased his excitement about joining Meta’s board in a statement on X.
"I love social media," he wrote. "And I’m excited to be a small part of the future of AI and emerging technologies."
Also joining the Meta board is former Microsoft Corp. executive Charlie Songhurst, who has been working with the company already on artificial intelligence products, and Exov NV CEO John Elkann. Elkann’s company has stakes in many European businesses, including Ferrari NV and Italy’s popular soccer team, Juventus Football Club.
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"Charlie, Dana and John will add a depth of expertise and perspective that will help us tackle the massive opportunities ahead with AI, wearables and the future of human connection," Zuckerberg, 40, said in a statement, via Bloomberg.
White also shared words from Zuckerberg in his X post, where the latter commended the former for building "one of the most valuable, fastest growing, and most popular sports enterprises in the world."
"I’ve admired him as an entrepreneur and his ability to build such a beloved brand," Zuckerberg added.
Zuckerberg continues to build out Meta’s board, which is now at 13 members. In recent years, he has also brought in DoorDash CEO Tony Xu and Dropbox CEO Drew Houston.
The reason for the changes on the board revolves around Meta’s shift of focus to artificial intelligence and the metaverse.
As for White’s addition, he has a relationship with Zuckerberg given the Facebook co-founder’s love for mixed martial arts as well.
Zuckerberg has been spotted in the past working through Jiu Jitsu and other fight styles, with prominent UFC fighters like Israel Adesanya and Alexander Volkanovski.
Now, White’s connection to Trump is prominent given Trump’s past critiques of Meta. However, Zuckerberg and Trump have been working on their relationship, as the two had dinner at the latter’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida back in November.
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White said that he has "never been interested in joining a board of directors," but the offer from Meta was something he jumped at.
"I am a huge believer that social media and AI are the future," White said on X. "I am very excited to join this incredible team and to learn more about this business from the inside. There is nothing I love more than building brands, and I look forward to helping take Meta to the next level."