((Automated translation by Reuters, please see disclaimer https://bit.ly/rtrsauto))
Meta Platforms META.O said Monday it has elected three new directors to its board, including Dana White, chief executive of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and close friend of President-elect Donald Trump.
Facebook’s parent company also elected Charlie Songhurst, an investor and former Microsoft MSFT.O executive, as well as John Elkann, chief executive of Exor, a holding company controlled by the Italian Agnelli family that has interests in European companies such as Ferrari and Christian Louboutin.
“Dana, John and Charlie will bring deep expertise and perspective that will help us seize the enormous opportunities ahead with AI, wearables and the future of human connection,” said Mark Zuckerberg, Director general of Meta.
Mr. Trump has a long relationship with Mr. White, who spoke in support of his candidacy at the Republican National Convention in July , and previously at the 2016 and 2020 conventions.
Zuckerberg, meanwhile, developed a relationship with White in recent years as a mixed martial arts enthusiast and recreational fighter.
In one of their first public exchanges, Zuckerberg thanked White in a 2022 Instagram post for inviting him to attend a UFC fight, while the UFC uploaded a photo of the two kissing in front of the “Octagon” cage where the fights take place.
Mr. Elkann is also executive chairman of Stellantis NV and Ferrari, and chairman of the nonprofit Agnelli Foundation, which focuses on education.
Mr. Songhurst was part of a four-member AI advisory group that Meta convened in May to advise on “strategic opportunities” as they relate to the company’s roadmap.
Zuckerberg positioned Meta for a possible second Trump presidency, expressing regret over past content decisions that were unpopular with conservatives and praising Trump’s response to an assassination attempt.
Last week, the company named prominent Republican politician Joel Kaplan as head of international affairs.
Meta also donated $1 million to Mr. Trump’s inauguration fund, a departure from its previous practices.
