Mark Zuckerberg recently announced Dana White’s appointment to the Meta board, citing White’s entrepreneurial success with UFC and their strong relationship as key factors in the decision.
Mark Zuckerberg had Dana White in mind for the Meta board for quite a while. The Meta CEO, who’s a massive UFC fan, recently announced White’s addition to the board earlier this month. While chatting on The Joe Rogan Experience, Zuckerberg shared how it was an easy choice to bring White on board.
“Oh, he’s awesome, I’ve been talking to him for a while about that,” Zuckerberg said. “Talk about an amazing entrepreneur. … It’s like, who are the people I want [on the board]? I just want the best entrepreneurs and people who have created different things.”
Dana White is that guy who took MMA from being seen as pretty niche to a global sensation. Remember when John McCain wanted to ban it? Now, it’s one of the fastest-growing sports alongside F-1, with hundreds of millions tuning in.
White and Zuckerberg? They’ve been tight for years. Zuckerberg’s even been spotted at several UFC events. He walked out with Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298 before his title defense against Ilia Topuria last February.
Zuckerberg sees what White has built with the UFC. That brand’s growth is undeniable. He believes having someone with White’s drive and attitude is crucial for Meta, especially when facing challenges.
“What Dana’s done with the UFC is like one of the most legendary business stories,” Zuckerberg noted. “I think he’s a world-class entrepreneur with a strong backbone.”
With governments worldwide putting pressure on Meta, Zuckerberg feels they need strong advisors like Dana. Running Meta isn’t for the faint-hearted; there’s pressure from all sides.
“I just want to spend my time building things,” Zuckerberg added. “But, yeah, I think Dana’s going to be great.”