Dana White, the CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and a close ally of President-elect Donald Trump, has officially joined the board of directors for Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram. This move comes as Meta continues to expand its leadership team with high-profile figures from diverse industries.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced White’s appointment in a Facebook post on Monday, praising his entrepreneurial achievements. “Dana is the President and CEO of UFC, and he has built it 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 wrote.
White’s inclusion in Meta’s board reflects Zuckerberg’s personal connection to mixed martial arts. Having practiced MMA in recent years, Zuckerberg has attended UFC events and even trained for a competitive fight, though an ACL injury prevented him from competing. Zuckerberg’s admiration for combat sports aligns with White’s leadership in making UFC a global sensation.
White joins other prominent names on Meta’s board, including John Elkann, CEO of the Italian holding company Exor, and Charlie Songhurst, former Microsoft head of corporate strategy. However, White’s addition carries particular weight given his connection to President-elect Donald Trump.
The appointment comes just weeks after Zuckerberg met with Trump at Mar-a-Lago, following Trump’s victory over Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election. Trump advisers, including Stephen Miller, have emphasized Zuckerberg’s interest in supporting what they describe as a national renewal movement under Trump’s leadership.
Miller highlighted Zuckerberg’s alignment with Trump’s vision during an interview, stating, “Mark Zuckerberg has been very clear about his desire to be a supporter of and a participant in this change that we’re seeing all around America, all around the world with this reform movement that Donald Trump is leading.”
While Zuckerberg did not formally endorse Trump during the campaign, his remarks following the July 13 assassination attempt on Trump’s life in Butler, Pennsylvania, revealed deep respect for the president-elect. Speaking to Bloomberg, Zuckerberg said, “Seeing Donald Trump get up after getting shot in the face and pump his fist in the air with the American flag is one of the most bada– things I’ve ever seen in my life.” He went on to describe Trump’s resilience as inspiring, adding, “On some level as an American, it’s hard to not get kind of emotional about that spirit and that fight, and I think that’s why a lot of people like the guy.”
Trump also signaled a warming relationship with Zuckerberg, stating in an interview that the Meta CEO personally called him twice after the assassination attempt to express his respect. Trump claimed Zuckerberg even apologized for Facebook’s decision to ban his account following the January 6 Capitol riot, calling it a “mistake” that was later corrected.
The addition of Dana White to Meta’s board symbolizes more than just a business move—it reflects a growing alignment between one of the world’s largest tech companies and the new Trump administration. With White’s entrepreneurial expertise and his ties to both Zuckerberg and Trump, this partnership is poised to play a key role in shaping Meta’s future and its approach to the rapidly shifting political and economic landscape.
