Meta announced the appointment of three new board members, including Dana White, the CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and a close ally of Donald Trump.
The appointments come as Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg seeks to mend ties with Trump ahead of the inauguration of the new US president-elect later this month.
Other additions to Meta’s board include John Elkann, the head of European investment firm Exor, and former Microsoft executive Charlie Songhurst.
“Dana, John and Charlie will bring deep expertise and perspective to address the huge opportunities ahead in artificial intelligence, wearables and the future of human connection,” Zuckerberg said in a statement.
About Dana White and other new members
Meta praised White’s role in transforming UFC into a global business. White, on the other hand, wrote on Meta’s Instagram page that he loves social media and is “excited to be a small part of the future of artificial intelligence and new technologies.”
Dana White has previously denied allegations that UFC platforms allow hate speech and has stressed his support for free speech. He also had a heated argument with a reporter a year ago. The reporter asked about fighters being allowed to make anti-LGBT statements. White responded by saying, “People have the right to say what they want and believe what they want.”
White has a long-standing close relationship with Donald Trump.
Among the changes to Meta’s board of directors, the social media giant has also seen the departure of Sir Nick Clegg, who was previously responsible for global relations, and the appointment of prominent Republican Joel Kaplan in his place. Kaplan manages Meta’s relations with the Republican Party.
Relations between Meta and Trump have been warming in recent months. Relations have cooled, especially after Trump was banned from Facebook and Instagram after his January 2021 attack on the US Congress.
However, Trump made harsh remarks about Zuckerberg in a book published in August, claiming that he would spend the rest of his life in prison if he interfered in the election. However, in an October podcast, he softened his stance, stressing that Zuckerberg did not interfere in the election and thanking him.
Zuckerberg visited Trump's Mar-a-Lago after his election victory in November and attended dinner with him. Earlier this month, Zuckerberg donated $1 million to the president-elect's inaugural fund.
