“I’m excited to kick off the year with some news we’ve been working on for a while: Dana White, John Elkann, and Charlie Songhurst are joining Meta’s board of directors,” Zuckerberg said in a post on Facebook announcing the additions to his company’s board of directors. “We have massive opportunities ahead in AI, wearables, and the future of social media, and our board will help us achieve our vision.”

“Dana, John, and Charlie will add a depth of expertise and perspective that will help us tackle the massive opportunities ahead with AI, wearables, and the future of human connection,” Zuckerberg added.

Some have speculated the decision to have White on Meta’s board was an attempt to strengthen Zuckerberg’s relationship with President-elect Donald Trump. White is a friend of Trump’s and was a vocal supporter during his recent presidential campaign. He endorsed the president-elect and spoke at his massive rally at Madison Square Garden in October 2024. Zuckerberg visited the president-elect at his Mar-a-Lago residence in December, and his company donated $1 million to Trump’s inaugural fund, CNBC reported.

“Dana is the President and CEO of UFC, and he has built it into one of the most valuable, fastest-growing, and most popular sports enterprises in the world. I’ve admired him as an entrepreneur and his ability to build such a beloved brand,” the Facebook founder said of the UFC head.

White admitted he was thrilled with the new position and predicted that social media and artificial intelligence would grow to monumental significance worldwide.

“I’ve never been interested in joining a board of directors until I got the offer to join Meta’s board. I am a huge believer that social media and AI are the future,” White said. “I am very excited to join this incredible team and to learn more about this business from the inside. There is nothing I love more than building brands, and I look forward to helping take Meta to the next level.”