Dana(DAN) Forbes·2025-01-07 00:23Meta's Board Expansion and Strategic Moves - Meta's CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the addition of UFC President Dana White to the company's board of directors, citing White's entrepreneurial success and ability to build a beloved brand [1] - The new board is expected to help Meta capitalize on opportunities in AI, wearables, and the future of social media [1] - Alongside White, Meta also added John Elkann, CEO of Exor, and former Microsoft executive Charlie Songhurst to its board [2] Zuckerberg and White's Business Relationship - Zuckerberg and White have grown closer since Zuckerberg began attending UFC events in 2022, leading to increased collaboration between their businesses [4] - Meta and UFC announced a partnership in 2022, bringing UFC's streaming service to Meta's virtual reality platform, Horizon Worlds [4] - Zuckerberg and White discussed the use of AI in UFC fighter rankings, with White expressing plans to improve rankings and make strong moves by 2025 [4] Zuckerberg's Personal Interests and Net Worth - Zuckerberg has taken up jiu-jitsu and earned a blue belt, raising concerns among Meta executives about the risks associated with his participation in combat sports [6] - As of the announcement, Zuckerberg's net worth was estimated at 1 million to Trump's inaugural fund, alongside Amazon and OpenAI's Sam Altman, as tech leaders sought to strengthen ties with Trump ahead of his presidency [8] - Zuckerberg has had a mixed relationship with Trump and his allies, who have accused Facebook's content moderation policies of favoring Democrats [8]