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At Meta Platforms Inc. three new directors were elected, and one of them is strong Donald Trump the supporter.
UFC CEO Dana White joins Meta’s board, as CEO Mark Zuckerbergwho is president and retains most of the voting control, brings in someone who has been one of the most influential sports and media executives for some time.
And it’s worth noting that White has been on the campaign trail with the president-elect for the 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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Dana White, CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship introduces Republican presidential candidate Donald J. Trump during the final day of the Republican National Convention. (IMAGN / IMAGN)
White expressed his excitement about joining Meta’s board in a statement to X.
“I love social media,” he wrote. “And I’m excited to be a small part of the future of AI and new technologies.”
The former CEO of Microsoft Corp. is also joining the board of Meta. Charlie Songhurst, who has previously worked with the company on artificial intelligence products, and Exov NV CEO John Elkann. Elkann’s company has stakes in many European companies, including Ferrari NV and the popular Italian football club, 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 enormous opportunities that come with artificial intelligence, wearables and the future of human connection,” Zuckerberg, 40, said in a statement. via Bloomberg.
White also shared Zuckerberg’s words in his X post, where the latter praised the former for building “one of the most valuable, fastest-growing and most popular sports businesses 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, he 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/Getty Images)
The reason for the board changes revolves around Meta’s shift in focus to AI and the metaverse.
As for White’s addition, he has a Zuckerberg connection given the Facebook co-founder’s love of mixed martial arts.
Zuckerberg has been spotted working through Jiu Jitsu and other fighting styles in the past, with prominent UFC fighters like Israel Adesanya and Alexander Volkanovski.
Now, White’s connection to Trump has been highlighted given Trump’s previous criticism of Meta. However, Zuckerberg and Trump are working on their relationship, as the two dined at the latter’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida back in November.
White said he was “never interested in joining the board,” but Meta’s offer was something he accepted.
UFC CEO Dana White during the UFC Fight Night weigh-ins at Amalie Arena. (Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images / IMAGN)
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“I’m a big believer that social media and artificial intelligence are the future,” White said on Xu. “I am very excited to join this amazing team and learn more about this business from the inside. There is nothing I love more than building a brand and I look forward to helping take Meta to the next level.”
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