Mark Zuckerberg reveals Dana White joining Meta board of directors

Mark Zuckerberg reveals Dana White’s appointment to Meta board amid ties with Donald Trump.

Meta has announced three new board appointments, including UFC chief executive Dana White, a close ally of Donald Trump.

This move comes as Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg appears to be working to improve relations with Trump ahead of the president-elect’s inauguration.

Joining White on the board are John Elkann, head of European investment firm Exor, and Charlie Songhurst, a former Microsoft executive. Zuckerberg highlighted the appointees' expertise, stating they would help Meta tackle opportunities in artificial intelligence, wearables, and human connection.

White, credited with transforming UFC into a global brand, expressed enthusiasm for the role, saying on Instagram that he is “excited to be a small part of the future of [AI] and emerging technologies.” Known for his staunch defense of free speech, White’s tenure at UFC has occasionally sparked controversy, including a viral exchange with a reporter over fighters’ anti-LGBT remarks.

The appointments coincide with a shift in Meta’s political alignment. Sir Nick Clegg, the former UK deputy prime minister and Meta’s president of global affairs, recently departed, succeeded by Joel Kaplan, a prominent Republican. This shift reflects an apparent thaw in relations between Trump and Meta, strained since Trump’s ban from Facebook and Instagram following the January 2021 Capitol riot.

Trump’s rhetoric toward Zuckerberg has also softened. After previously suggesting Zuckerberg should “spend the rest of his life in prison” for election interference, Trump thanked the Meta CEO in October for staying “out of the election” and a supportive phone call following an assassination attempt.

Zuckerberg’s recent $1 million donation to Trump’s inauguration fund and a Mar-a-Lago dinner after the electoral victory further signal an evolving relationship between the tech giant and the president-elect.