Meta Platforms has appointed three new members to its board, which includes Dana White, the CEO of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and a close associate of president-elect Donald Trump.
The parent company of Facebook has also chosen Charlie Songhurst, an investor and former Microsoft executive, along with John Elkann, CEO of Exor, a holding company overseen by Italy’s Agnelli family that has stakes in various European ventures like Ferrari and Christian Louboutin.
“Dana, John, and Charlie will bring a wealth of expertise and perspectives that will assist us in seizing the significant opportunities ahead in areas like AI, wearables, and the future of human interaction,” said Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
Mr. Trump has long-standing ties with Mr. White, who endorsed his candidacy at the Republican National Convention in July, as well as during the 2016 and 2020 conventions.
In one of their initial public interactions, Mr. Zuckerberg expressed gratitude to Mr. White in an Instagram post from 2022 for inviting him to a UFC event, while the UFC shared a photo of them embracing in front of the “Octagon” cage where the fights occur.
Elkann also holds the positions of executive chairman at Stellantis and Ferrari, and serves as chair of the Agnelli Foundation, a nonprofit focused on education.
Mr. Songhurst was part of a four-member AI advisory panel that Meta established in May to provide insights on “strategic opportunities” in alignment with the company’s future plans.
Mr. Zuckerberg has been aligning Meta for a potential second term for Trump, expressing regret over previous content management choices that were met with disapproval from conservatives and commending Mr. Trump’s reaction to an assassination attempt.
Recently, the company promoted notable Republican policy executive Joel Kaplan to the role of global affairs head.
Meta has also contributed $1 million to Mr. Trump’s inaugural fund, marking a shift from its previous practices.
