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Meta Inc. has appointed mixed martial arts titan and prominent Donald Trump supporter Dana White to its board of directors as the social media platform seeks to infiltrate the incoming US presidential administration.
As CEO of Ultimate Fighting Championship, Mr. White has grown the mixed martial arts promotion group into one of the most popular sports businesses in the world.
He was a vocal supporter of Trump during last year’s campaign, giving a speech on election night, while the president-elect also featured several UFC bouts. White is also a friend of Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who has documented a strong interest in martial arts in recent years.
The $1.6 trillion social media platform also named two other new board members on Monday. Charlie Songhurst, a technology investor and former Microsoft executive, and John Elkann, chief executive of European investment group Exor. Exor is controlled by Agnelli and has stakes in Ferrari, Stellantis, Juventus Football Club and The Economist Group.
“Dana, John, and Charlie will add deep expertise and perspectives that will help us address the big opportunities ahead, including the future of[artificial intelligence]wearables, and human connectivity,” Zuckerberg said. he said.
As Chairman of the Board, Mr. Zuckerberg holds a majority of Meta’s voting rights under a dual class share structure.
The Meta CEO has taken up cage fighting and martial arts recreationally in recent years, leading some observers to believe it is an attempt to revamp his image following years of scandal over issues such as privacy and moderation at Meta. I’m watching.
Last October, White said he asked Zuckerberg to help improve the UFC’s AI ranking system. AI is a technology that Meta and its major tech companies are competing to develop and deploy. He is also the owner of Power Slap, a slap fighting promotion company.
Mr White said: “I had no interest in joining Meta’s board until I received an offer to join it. I strongly believe that social media and AI are the future.”
He added, “There’s nothing I love more than building brands, and I look forward to helping take Meta to the next level.”
News of the executive additions comes just weeks before Donald Trump returns to the White House, with his Republican Party poised to control both chambers of Congress.
After years of frosty relations between the president-elect and Mr. Zuckerberg, in which Mr. Trump has repeatedly accused the Facebook platform of censoring right-wing voices, the social media chief has publicly acknowledged Mr. Trump’s victory. He is now on a charm offensive, congratulating him, and even having dinner with Mr. Zuckerberg. Mar-a-Lago. Mr. Mehta also donated $1 million to the inaugural fund.
Silicon Valley celebrities such as Amazon founder Jeff Bezos have made similar visits and donated to President Trump’s inaugural fund, including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.
Last week, Meta announced that its head of international affairs, Nick Clegg, would be replaced by Joel Kaplan, a prominent Republican known for overseeing the company’s relationship with conservatives.
The company’s board of directors currently has a total of 13 members, including Marc Andreessen, an influential venture capitalist and ally of Mr. Trump, who is an advocate of cutting U.S. government spending. We are supporting the recruitment of Elon Musk’s committee for the purpose.
