Jan 6 (Reuters) - Meta Platforms ( META ) said on Monday

it had elected three new directors to its board, including Dana

White, CEO of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and close

friend of President-elect Donald Trump.

The Facebook-parent also elected Charlie Songhurst, an

investor and former Microsoft executive, as well as

John Elkann, CEO of Exor, a holding company controlled by

Italy's Agnelli family with interests in European businesses

such as Ferrari and Christian Louboutin.

"Dana, John and Charlie will add a depth of expertise and

perspective that will help us tackle the massive opportunities

ahead with AI, wearables and the future of human connection,"

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said.

Trump has had a long relationship with White, who had

spoken in support of his candidacy at the Republican National

Convention in July, and previously at the 2016 and 2020

conventions.

Zuckerberg, likewise, has developed a relationship with

White in recent years as a mixed martial arts enthusiast and

recreational fighter.

In one of their early public exchanges, Zuckerberg thanked

White in an Instagram post in 2022 for inviting him to attend a

UFC fight, while the UFC posted a photo online of the two

embracing in front of the "Octagon" cage where fights take

place.

Elkann is also the executive chairman of Stellantis NV and

Ferrari, and chair of the nonprofit Agnelli Foundation, which

focuses on education.

Songhurst has been serving on a four-member AI advisory

group Meta convened in May to offer guidance on "strategic

opportunities" in relation to the company's roadmap.

Zuckerberg has been positioning Meta for a potential

second Trump presidency,

expressing

regret over previous content decisions that were unpopular

with conservatives and praising Trump's response to an

assassination attempt.

Last week

, the company elevated prominent Republican policy executive

Joel Kaplan to the position of global affairs head.

Meta also donated $1 million to Trump's inaugural fund,

in a departure from its past practice.