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Three new directors have been elected for Meta Platforms Inc., including a powerful director Donald Trump supporter.
UFC CEO Dana White joins Meta’s board of directors CEO Mark Zuckerbergwho assumes the role of chairman and retains majority voting control, brings in someone who has been one of the most influential executives in sports and media for some time.
It’s worth noting that White was on the campaign trail with the president-elect last year, speaking at rallies and having been with him, along with a crew that includes Elon Musk, at UFC fight nights over the past few 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. (imagine / imagine)
White showed his enthusiasm for joining Meta’s board of directors 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 Meta’s board are former Microsoft Corp. CEO Charlie Songhurst, who was already working with the company on AI products, and Exov NV CEO John Elkann. Elkann owns stakes in several European companies, including Ferrari NV and the famous Italian football team, Juventus Football Club.
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“Charlie, Dana, and John will add a depth of experience and perspective that will help us address the tremendous opportunities that lie ahead in artificial intelligence, wearables, and the future of human communication,” Zuckerberg, 40, said in a statement. Via Bloomberg.
White also shared Zuckerberg’s words in his post on X, where the latter praised the former for building “one of the most valuable, fastest-growing, and most popular sports organizations 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 includes 13 members. In recent years, he has also brought on DoorDash CEO Tony Chu 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 to the board revolves around the Meta’s shift in focus to AI and the metaverse.
As for White’s addition, he has a connection to Zuckerberg due to the Facebook co-founder’s penchant for mixed martial arts as well.
Zuckerberg has been spotted in the past working with jiu-jitsu and other fighting techniques, prominently UFC fighters Such as Israel Adesanya and Alexander Volkanovski.
Now, White’s relationship with Trump has become more prominent given Trump’s past criticism of Meta. However, Zuckerberg and Trump have been working on their relationship, with the two having dinner at the latter’s home in Mar-a-Lago, Florida, last November.
White said he “was never interested in joining the board,” but the offer from Meta was something he jumped at.
UFC CEO Dana White during the weigh-ins at UFC Fight Night at Amalie Arena. (Nathan Ray Sibick-Imagine Images/Imagine)
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“I’m a firm believer that social media and AI are the future,” White said on “Taking Meta to the next level.”
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