Dana White, the CEO of UFC and a longtime friend of President-elect Donald Trump, will join Meta’s board two weeks before Trump’s new administration begins. In a post, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg stated that White had transformed the UFC “into one of the most valuable, fastest growing, and most popular sports enterprises in the world.” John Elkann, CEO of Italian holding group Exor, and former Microsoft executive Charlie Songhurst will also join Meta’s board. Dana White, CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship and a long-time friend of President-elect Donald Trump, will join the board of Facebook parent Meta two weeks before the new Trump government begins.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who had a particularly tense relationship with Trump during the president-elect’s first term in office, said in a Facebook post Monday that White has built the UFC “into 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 said in the post. Get top local stories in San Diego delivered to you every morning. >Sign up for NBC San Diego’s News Headlines newsletter. Zuckerberg has been practicing mixed martial arts in recent years and has attended several UFC events, underscoring his enthusiasm for the combat sport.

In 2023, Zuckerberg tore his ACL while sparring in preparation for a competitive MMA fight. That year, Zuckerberg and Tesla CEO Elon Musk traded verbal insults and stated that they were willing to fight each other in a match that White would help organize. But Zuckerberg later declared the fight was off because Musk wasn’t “serious.” White came onstage with Trump on election night in November, after the victory was secured.

Main Navigation News is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including free streaming and a podcast. Breakfast Buzz 🔎 I-team Tips: Expand Money Report Meta has partnered with CNBC and Facebook, while UFC’s Dana White has joined its board weeks before Trump’s inauguration. By Jonathan Vanian, CNBC • Published January 6, 2025 | Updated 13 minutes ago Mark Zuckerberg poses with UFC President Dana White at a UFC Fight Night event. Jeff Bottari | UFC | Getty Images. Mark Zuckerberg poses with UFC President Dana White at a UFC Fight Night event. Dana White, the CEO of UFC and a longtime friend of President-elect Donald Trump, will join Meta’s board two weeks before Trump’s new administration begins. In a post, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg stated that White had transformed the UFC into “one of the most valuable, fastest expanding,

White, who has managed the UFC since 2001, became involved in scandal two years ago after TMZ aired a video of him slapping his wife at a New Year’s Eve party in Mexico. White issued a public apology, and his wife, Anne White, told TMZ that it was an isolated event. Musk has had recent connections to the UFC. Musk joined Ari Emanuel’s Endeavour Group’s board in 2021, and the UFC is owned by TKO Group Holdings. He left a year later. According to Zuckerberg, other new Meta board members include John Elkann, CEO of Italian holding company Exor, and Charlie Songhurst, former Microsoft head of business strategy. Elkann is the chairman of Exor’s vehicle firms Stellantis and our board will help us achieve our vision,” Zuckerberg said.