UFC Boss Dana White Joins Meta's Board of Directors
UFC Boss Dana White Joins Meta's Board of Directors.
Meta has just revealed that they’ve added three new members to their board, one of whom is Dana White, the CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and a close ally of Donald Trump.
This move comes as Mark Zuckerberg, Meta's CEO, seems to be trying to rebuild his relationship with Trump right before the president-elect's inauguration this month.
Recently, Sir Nick Clegg, the former UK deputy prime minister and leader of the Liberal Democrats, stepped down from his role as president of global affairs at Meta.
Joining Dana White on the board are John Elkann, who heads the European investment firm Exor, and Charlie Songhurst, a former executive at Microsoft
"Dana, John and Charlie will add a depth of expertise and perspective that will help us tackle the massive opportunities ahead with [artificial intelligence], wearables and the future of human connection," said Mr Zuckerberg in a statement.
The social media giant also commended Mr. White for his efforts in transforming the UFC into a worldwide enterprise.
Mr. White shared on Meta's Instagram that he's a big fan of social media and is "excited to be a small part of the future of [artificial intelligence] and emerging technologies."
Mr. White has always shot down any claims that UFC promotes hate speech, claiming he’s all about free speech. About a year back, he had a heated moment with a reporter who asked why he lets fighters make anti-LGBT comments, and that interaction blew up online.
"People can say whatever they want and they can believe whatever they want," Mr White retorted.
The UFC president has been tight with Trump for many years.
White's new role comes after the news that Sir Nick is stepping down at Meta, with his deputy, notable Republican Joel Kaplan, taking over. Kaplan has been the go-to guy for managing the company's ties with the Republican Party.
Recently, it seems like Meta and Trump have been warming up to each other again.
Things had been pretty chilly ever since Trump got banned from Facebook and Instagram after the Capitol riot in January 2021.
In August, Trump mentioned in a book that Zuckerberg would "spend the rest of his life in prison" if he tried to meddle in the 2024 election.
However, Trump later eased up a bit, saying in a podcast in October that it was "nice" of Zuckerberg to "stay out of the election" and even thanked him for a personal call after a recent assassination attempt.
Zuckerberg also made a trip to Mar-a-Lago for dinner with Trump after his election win in November. Just this month, he contributed $1 million to the president-elect's inauguration fund.
Dana White’s appointment to Meta’s board raises concerns about the company’s values and direction. His close ties to Donald Trump, a figure whose rhetoric often sparks division, may alienate a portion of Meta’s diverse user base.
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White’s controversial stance on free speech and his dismissive attitude toward LGBTQ+ issues could exacerbate Meta’s already fragile reputation, especially after its struggles with content moderation and public trust. This move signals that Meta may prioritize controversial alliances over fostering a more inclusive, responsible digital space, potentially undermining its credibility and relationships with both users and investors.
