Dana White, the CEO of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and a personal friend of Donald Trump, the president-elect, is one of the three new directors that Meta Platforms has chosen to its board, reports RTE.
Charlie Songhurst, a former Microsoft executive and investor, and John Elkann, the CEO of Exor, a holding firm owned by the Agnelli family of Italy and with holdings in European companies like Christian Louboutin and Ferrari, were also chosen by the Facebook parent company.
“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,” Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, stated, reports RTE.
White, who spoke in favour of Trump’s campaign at the Republican National Convention in July, has a longstanding friendship with the president.
In a similar vein, Mr. Zuckerberg, a mixed martial arts fan and amateur fighter, has gotten to know Mr. White in recent years, reports RTE.
One of their earliest public interactions occurred in 2022 when Mr. Zuckerberg praised Mr. White on Instagram for inviting him to a UFC bout. The UFC then shared a picture of the two hugging in front of the “Octagon” cage, where fights are held.
In addition, Elkann chairs the charity Agnelli Foundation, which focusses on education, and serves as executive chairman of Stellantis and Ferrari, reports RTE.
In May, Meta formed a four-person AI advisory council, of which Mr. Songhurst is a member, to provide advice on “strategic opportunities” pertaining to the company’s roadmap.
Mr. Zuckerberg has been preparing Meta for a possible second Trump administration by complimenting Mr. Trump’s response to an assassination attempt and expressing sorrow over past content choices that did not sit well with conservatives, reports RTE.
Joel Kaplan, a well-known Republican policy professional, was promoted to head of global affairs by the corporation last week.
In addition, Meta broke with tradition by contributing $1 million to Mr. Trump’s inauguration fund, reports RTE.
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