Dana White has been appointed to the board of directors of Meta, alongside auto tycoon John Elkann and tech investor Charlie Songhurst, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a Facebook post late Monday.
The social media company owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.
Why It Matters
White is the president and CEO of Ultimate Fighting Championship and a figure close to incoming President Donald Trump.
The move could be seen as an attempt by Zuckerberg to improve ties with Trump, who was once banned from Facebook.
What To Know
Zuckerberg has been seen getting closer to Trump since his election.
The Facebook founder dined at the president-elect's Mar-a-Lago Club in Florida and Meta donated $1 million to Trump's inauguration fund.
Other Big Tech companies such as Amazon have donated similar amounts.
What Is White's Connection With Trump?
Trump, who is a longtime UFC fan, first connected with White back in 2001, when White hosted a UFC at the Republican's former casino-hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey, the Trump Taj Mahal.
Trump has also appeared with White at UFC matches over the years, especially in his 2024 campaign as part of efforts to appeal to younger male voters.
White has had speaking roles at the 2016, 2020 and 2024 Republican conventions.
He appeared on stage at Trump's election victory party in November, even speaking briefly to the crowd.
Facebook To Become Free Speech Platform
Zuckerberg on Tuesday also announced that Facebook will roll back a number of its censorship policies to become a free speech platform.
The Meta CEO said he would get rid of the social media platform's fact-checkers and replace them with a community notes system similar to the one used by Elon Musk's X, formerly Twitter.
Zuckerberg's policy move is a drastic change from Meta's previous approach of restricting certain types of language and topics.
What People Are Saying
Mark Zuckerberg said that White has built UFC "into one of the most valuable, fastest growing, and most popular sports enterprises in the world." He added "I've admired him as an entrepreneur and his ability to build such a beloved brand."
Dana White has previously said he was never interested in serving on a board. However he spoke about his excitement about the new venture in a recent statement: "I am a huge believer that social media and AI are the future … I am very excited to join this incredible team and to learn more about this business from the inside … There is nothing I love more than building brands, and I look forward to helping take Meta to the next level."
What Happens Next
The appointment is indicative of business leaders' desire to get closer to Trump before he takes office on Jan. 20.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press
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