WEB DESK: Meta (Facebook) Platforms Inc added three new people to its board of directors, including Dana White, the chief executive of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
The other newly inducted directors are Charlie Songhurst, an investor and former Microsoft executive, and John Elkann, the CEO of Exor NV, a holding company controlled by the Agnelli family.
Read more: Prices of all PTA-approved iPhone 16 models reduced in Pakistan
The Agnellis are an extremely influential family with stakes in various Europe-based businesses – Ferrari NV and Juventus football club.
The latest induction increased the total number of directors on Facebook (Meta’s) board to thirteen.
The group includes Facebook’s co-founder and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, who also acts as the chairman and has retained majority voting control of his company.
Zuckerberg expressed his thoughts on the appointments, stating that “Charlie, Dana and John will contribute valuable experience and perspectives that will assist us in addressing the significant opportunities ahead in artificial intelligence, wearables and the future of human connection”.
The Facebook co-founder has in recent years reshaped his company’s board in an attempt to align it more with his focus on artificial intelligence and the metaerse, the latter of which failed.
Nearly all current directors were appointed, with many hailing from Silicone Valley.
Dana White is famous for within the mixed martial arts (MMA) community, having transformed UFC into a leading global promotion company.
Zuckerberg and White enjoy a close friendship, as the latter is a huge MMA fan and publicly supported Dana White in past.
The two worked on integrating AI into UFC’s rankings system.
Dana White also supported Republican and President-elect Donald Trump in US 2024 elections. He was personally involved in Trump’s election campaign and is said to have helped bring young male voters to Trump’s fold.
Read more: Across globe, deepfake porn targets women politicians
Like most tech giants, Zuckerberg has attempted to woo Trump following his re-elected and open support by fellow billionaire, Elon Musk.
The Facebook co-founder visited Trump at his personal residence, Mar-a-Lago, and his company even recently Joel Kaplan as its policy chief. Kaplan has reportedly strong ties with the Republican Party.