Dana White
Meta PlatformsAbout Dana White
Dana White (age 55) is an independent director of Meta, elected effective December 30, 2024; he is President and CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) since 2001 and attended the University of Massachusetts Boston. Meta cites his leadership scaling a global sports, media, and entertainment business, expertise in digital content distribution, and brand building as core credentials for board service .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) | President & Chief Executive Officer | 2001–present | Scaled global sports/media business; expertise in digital distribution and brand building |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | — | — | Meta discloses no current or prior public company directorships in past five years |
Board Governance
- Independence: Determined independent under Nasdaq rules; board specifically reviewed ordinary-course advertising purchases by UFC and concluded they do not interfere with his independent judgment .
- Committee assignments: None currently listed for Meta’s standing committees (Audit & Risk Oversight; Compensation, Nominating & Governance; Privacy & Product Compliance) .
- Board meeting attendance: The board held 12 meetings in 2024; no incumbent director attended fewer than 75% of applicable meetings. White joined Dec 30, 2024, so his 2024 attendance is not meaningfully assessable .
- Term of service: Directors serve until the next annual meeting and until a successor is elected and qualified .
- Lead Independent Director: Robert M. Kimmitt; independent directors meet in executive sessions regularly .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fees Earned or Paid in Cash (2024) | $272 | Prorated for late-December election |
| Annual cash retainer (policy) | $50,000 | Paid quarterly in advance |
| Excess meeting fees (policy) | $4,000 per meeting after 4 per year | Applies to board and standing committees (except Andreessen) |
| Committee retainers (policy) | Audit Chair $50,000; Audit member $20,000; CNG Chair $25,000; CNG member $10,000; Privacy Chair $50,000; Privacy member $20,000 | Paid quarterly in advance |
Performance Compensation
| Equity Award Type | Value/Units | Vesting | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual RSUs (policy, 2024 example) | 802 RSUs for most directors; 642 for Andreessen | Fully vests on May 15 following grant or next annual meeting if not re-elected | Based on $375,000 initial value ($300,000 for Andreessen) |
| Initial RSUs for new directors (policy) | $375,000 prorated to next May 15 + $1,000,000 one-time grant | Prorated RSUs fully vest at next May 15; $1M RSUs vest in 16 equal quarterly installments over ~4 years | Applies to directors joining between annual meetings |
| Dana White – Stock Awards (2024) | $0 | — | No 2024 stock awards recorded due to Dec 30 election timing |
Performance metrics for director compensation: None disclosed; director pay consists of fixed cash retainers and time-based RSU grants (no bonus or performance metrics indicated) .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Relationship to Meta | Potential Interlock/Transaction | Board Determination |
|---|---|---|---|
| UFC (employer) | Purchases Meta advertising in ordinary course | Standard terms; competitive auction | Determined not to impair independence |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Leadership in scaling global sports/media, digital content distribution, user engagement, and brand expansion .
- Business-building experience aligned with Meta’s AI, wearables, and consumer-facing product initiatives .
Equity Ownership
| Security | Beneficially Owned (12/31/2024) | % of Total Voting Power | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class A shares | 356 | <1% | As disclosed in beneficial ownership table |
- Ownership guidelines: Non-employee directors must hold the lesser of 4,570 shares or shares worth $750,000 by the later of May 2025 or five years from becoming a director; as of Dec 31, 2024, all non-employee directors either met the threshold or were within the permitted time period to attain it .
- Hedging/pledging: Company policies prohibit hedging, margin accounts, pledging (unless approved), and short sales; directors are subject to these guidelines .
Insider Filings and Trades
| Filing | Date | Key Details | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Form 8-K (Item 5.02) – Election | Jan 6, 2025 (event Dec 30, 2024) | Elected to board; determined independent; compensation per Director Compensation Policy; no related-party transactions requiring disclosure | |
| Form 3 – Initial Statement of Beneficial Ownership | Jan 10, 2025 | Initial SEC insider filing as director |
Governance Assessment
- Committee coverage and effectiveness: White currently serves without committee assignments, reducing immediate workload but limiting direct oversight influence; committee rosters remain fully independent, with defined responsibilities and frequent meetings (Audit: 15; CNG: 8; Privacy: 4 in 2024) .
- Independence and conflicts: Board reviewed UFC’s advertising purchases from Meta and concluded they do not impair independence; no Item 404(a) related-party transactions requiring disclosure for White were identified at election .
- Attendance and engagement: Board met 12 times in 2024, with strong overall attendance; White’s Dec 30 election limits 2024 attendance assessment; executive sessions led by Lead Independent Director support independent oversight .
- Pay-for-alignment signals: 2024 compensation was minimal cash ($272) with no recorded stock grants due to timing; policy provides significant initial and annual RSU grants with time-based vesting, plus strict stock ownership guidelines, supporting alignment over time .
- RED FLAGS: None specific to White disclosed. Notably, Meta may provide personal security and tax gross-ups to non-employee directors; in 2024, such amounts applied to another director (Alford) but none are reported for White .
Overall, White brings brand-building and engagement expertise relevant to Meta’s consumer ecosystem, is independent with ordinary-course commercial ties reviewed by the board, and will build equity alignment as RSU grants vest under the director compensation policy .