UFC boss Dana White, a staunch Trump supporter, joins Meta’s board of directors

Three new directors have been elected at Meta Platforms Inc., and among them is a strong one Donald Trump support

UFC CEO Dana White joins Meta’s board, as CEO Mark Zuckerbergwho is president and maintains control of the majority vote, brings in someone who has been one of the most influential leaders in sports and media for some time.

And it’s worth noting that White was campaigning with the president-elect last year, speaking at rallies and having him, with a crew that includes Elon Musk, at UFC fight nights in recent years.

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Dana White, CEO of Ultimate Fighting Championship introduces Republican presidential candidate Donald J. Trump during the final day of the Republican National Convention. (IMAGE / IMAGE)

White expressed his excitement to join 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.”

The former Microsoft Corp. executive also joins Meta’s board. Charlie Songhurst, who worked with the company already in artificial intelligence products, and the CEO of Exov NV John Elkann. Elkann’s company has participated in several European companies, including Ferrari NV and Italy’s famous soccer team, Juventus Football Club.

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“Charlie, Dana and John bring a depth of expertise and perspective that will help us address 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 commanded the former to build “one of the most valuable, fastest and most popular sports companies in the world.”

“I admired him as an entrepreneur and his ability to build such a beloved brand,” Zuckerberg added.

Zuckerberg continues to build Meta’s board, which now has 13 members. In recent years, it has also brought in DoorDash CEO Tony Xu and Dropbox CEO Drew Houston.

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)

The reason for the changes on the board revolves around Meta’s shift in 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 of mixed martial arts.

Zuckerberg has been spotted in the past working through Jiu Jitsu and other fighting styles, with prominent UFC fighters such as Israel Adesanya and Alexander Volkanovski.

Now, White’s connection to Trump is prominent given Trump’s past criticism of Meta. However, Zuckerberg and Trump have been working on their relationship since the two had dinner at the Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida in November.

White said he’s “never been interested in joining a board of directors,” but Meta’s offer was something he jumped at.

UFC CEO Dana White during the weigh-ins for UFC Fight Night at Amalie Arena. (Nathan Ray Seebeck-Image Images / IMAGN)

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“I’m a big believer that social media and AI are the future,” White said on X. “I’m very excited to join this incredible team and learn more about this business from the inside. There’s nothing I love building brands, and I hope to help bring Meta to the next level.”

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