Zuckerberg Recruits 'Pro-Trump' UFC Chairman to Meta Board of Directors

Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook, has appointed Dana White, UFC chairman and close associate of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, as a board member. This move is analyzed as an effort to improve relations with President-elect Trump, who is set to take office this month.

President-elect Donald Trump (second from right) is smiling as he watches Dana White, UFC President (third from right), delivering a speech at an event held on November 6 last year (local time) in West Palm Beach, Florida. Photo by AFP Yonhap News

Mark Zuckerberg, Meta CEO, announced on his Facebook account on the 6th (local time) that three new members?White, Charlie Songhurst, a technology investment expert from Microsoft (MS), and John Elkann, CEO of Exor?have joined Meta's board of directors.

He said, "We are facing tremendous opportunities in the future of artificial intelligence (AI), wearables, and social media," and added, "The board will help us achieve our vision." With this appointment, the total number of Meta board members has increased to 13, including CEO Zuckerberg.

Notably, this board appointment drew attention as it came shortly after Meta promoted Joel Kaplan, a Republican close to the Trump administration, to Meta's global policy chief. Considering that Songhurst and Elkann, who were also appointed to the board, are well-known figures in the technology and business sectors respectively, the inclusion of White is interpreted as reflecting CEO Zuckerberg's desire to improve relations with President-elect Trump.

Dana White, founder of the U.S. mixed martial arts organization UFC, is a fervent supporter of President-elect Trump and was close enough to accompany him during the campaign last year. Shortly after the election in November last year, White attended a UFC event at Madison Square Garden in New York alongside President-elect Trump.

CNN reported, "CEO White played a crucial role in Trump's re-election success," and noted, "This appointment occurred amid a spread of right-wing tendencies within Meta's top ranks, and CEO Zuckerberg wants to improve relations with Trump before his inauguration." The New York Times (NYT) also described it as "a series of moves to strengthen ties with the new administration."

President-elect Trump had previously expressed hostility toward CEO Zuckerberg during the 2020 election, even suggesting that Zuckerberg should spend the rest of his life in prison. Their conflict worsened particularly after Facebook blocked Trump's account following the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot, which was incited by Trump supporters.

However, CEO Zuckerberg has been making active gestures of reconciliation, including a phone call with President-elect Trump ahead of last year's election. Shortly after the election, he even visited Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida to meet him and donated $1 million (approximately 1.4 billion KRW) for Trump's inauguration.

Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta. Photo by Reuters and Yonhap News.

On the day of the announcement, CEO Zuckerberg introduced White by saying, "He has grown UFC into one of the most valuable, fastest-growing, and most popular sports in the world," and praised him as "an admirable entrepreneur. I am impressed by his ability to create such a beloved brand." The NYT reported that in recent years, CEO Zuckerberg has formed a bond with White based on his interest in combat sports. The outlet also added that in 2023, during the so-called 'showdown' controversy between CEO Zuckerberg and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, White attempted to mediate the conflict.

White shared his thoughts on his Instagram account, saying, "I like social media," and expressed, "I am glad to be able to play even a small role in the future of AI and new technologies."