Meta Platforms announced Monday that it has elected three new directors to its board of directors, including Dana White, CEO of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and close confidant of President-elect Donald Trump.
Facebook's parent company also has investors Charlie Songhurst, a former Microsoft executive, and John John, CEO of Exor, a holding company controlled by Italy's Agnelli family with interests in European companies such as Ferrari and Christian Louboutin.・Mr. Elkann was also selected.
“Dana, John, and Charlie will add deep expertise and perspective that will help us address the huge opportunities presented by the future of AI, wearables, and human connectivity,” said Meta CEO Mark.・Zuckerberg stated.
Trump has a long relationship with White, who spoke in support of his candidacy at the Republican National Convention in July and earlier at the 2016 and 2020 conventions.
Zuckerberg, also a mixed martial arts enthusiast and recreational fighter, has developed a relationship with White in recent years.
In one of their early public interactions, Zuckerberg thanked White for inviting him to a UFC fight in a 2022 Instagram post, and the UFC confirmed that the fight would take place. He posted a photo online of the two hugging in front of the Octagon cage.
Elkann is also executive chairman of Stellantis NV and Ferrari, and chairman of the Agnelli Foundation, a non-profit organization focused on education.
Songhurst serves on a four-member AI advisory group that Meta convened in May to provide guidance on “strategic opportunities” related to the company's roadmap.
Mr. Zuckerberg has identified Mr. Mehta as a candidate for President Trump's second term, and has expressed regret over past content decisions that were unpopular with conservatives and praised Mr. Trump's response to the assassination attempt.
Last week, the company promoted prominent Republican policy executive Joel Kaplan to the position of head of international affairs.
In a departure from past practice, Meta also donated $1 million to President Trump's inaugural fund.
