UFC CEO Dana White will likely receive at least a $50,000 retainer for his new role as a member of Meta’s board of directors, according to past company filings.
Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg announced White’s appointment, along with two others, on Monday afternoon. The related fee, most recently shared in a Meta compensation report ahead of a shareholder approval vote last spring, is considered common for public companies.
White “has built (UFC) into one of the most valuable, fastest growing and most popular sports enterprises in the world,” Zuckerberg wrote on Facebook. “I’ve admired him as an entrepreneur and his ability to build such a beloved brand.”
“I’ve never been interested in joining a board of directors until I got the offer to join Meta’s board,” White said in a statement. “I am a huge believer that social media and AI are the future.”
White’s compensation at UFC has not been publicized.
Zuckerberg has previously been a guest at UFC events and has trained with UFC fighters. In 2023, White said the pair “talk multiple times a week.” In the fall, White told TNT Sports he consulted Zuckerberg on UFC potentially using algorithms to improve the sport’s ranking system in 2025.
White has also maintained a decades-long friendship with Donald Trump, which could make White valuable to the social media giant as Trump begins his second term as president. White spoke at Trump’s election night party, while Trump made his first UFC appearance since becoming president-elect at UFC 309 in Madison Square Garden in mid-November, joined by Elon Musk, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and others.
Ahead of inauguration day, Zuckerberg has visited Mar-a-Lago to meet with Trump, approved a $1 million donation to Trump’s inauguration fund and appointed former George W. Bush staffer Joel Kaplan as Meta’s president of global affairs.
The other two additions to Meta’s board are Exor CEO John Elkann and former Microsoft head of corporate strategy Charlie Songhurst. Meta’s board now has 13 members, including Zuckerberg—its CEO, chairman and founder—who retains majority voting control. Eleven directors have joined since 2019.
White’s compensation could rise if he assumes a committee position within Meta’s leadership, such as the audit & risk oversight committee or the privacy & product compliance committee. Board members have received $10,000 to $50,000 for each of those additional roles. Each of the existing members, besides Zuckerberg, serves on at least one committee.
“We have massive opportunities ahead in AI, wearables and the future of social media, and our board will help us achieve our vision,” Zuckerberg wrote in his post.
Trump has previously accused Zuckerberg of “plotting” against him. Trump was suspended from Meta’s platforms in 2021 but saw his accounts reinstated in 2023.
Meta has also turned to the UFC within its expanding virtual reality ambitions, airing certain events in VR. The UFC’s $1.5 billion media rights agreement with ESPN expires at the end of 2025, but while digital behemoths like Amazon and Netflix have been mentioned as potential suitors in future tie-up talks, Meta has largely steered clear of the exclusive sports rights race.
—Brendan Coffey contributed to this story
