Meta Elects UFC CEO Dana White, Two Others to Board

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Meta Platforms (META.O) announced on Monday the election of three new directors to its board, including Dana White, CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), as well as Charlie Songhurst, an investor and former Microsoft executive, and John Elkann, CEO of Exor, a holding company controlled by Italy’s Agnelli family.

Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, praised the trio for their expertise in fields such as AI, wearables, and human connection, noting their addition would help the company address significant opportunities.

Dana White, who is a close associate of President-elect Donald Trump, has been involved in supporting Trump’s candidacy at the Republican National Conventions in 2016, 2020, and 2024. Zuckerberg and White have also developed a friendship, stemming from Zuckerberg’s interest in mixed martial arts and recreational fighting. In 2022, Zuckerberg publicly thanked White on Instagram for inviting him to attend a UFC event, and the UFC later shared a photo of the two in front of the Octagon.

John Elkann is the executive chairman of Stellantis NV and Ferrari, and chairs the nonprofit Agnelli Foundation. He also has notable leadership roles within Europe’s business community. Charlie Songhurst, who has been advising Meta on strategic AI opportunities since May, brings valuable insight to the company’s future direction.

Meta’s new board members come at a time when the company is positioning itself to adapt to new political and business environments. Zuckerberg has expressed regret over past content decisions that alienated conservatives, and has been openly supportive of Trump, including Meta’s donation of $1 million to Trump’s inaugural fund. Recently, Meta appointed Joel Kaplan, a prominent Republican policy executive, as head of global affairs.

 

US Labor Agency Says Google Must Bargain with Contractor’s Union

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Alphabet’s Google is facing a second complaint from the U.S. National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), which claims that the tech giant is a “joint employer” of contract workers and must bargain with their union. This complaint, issued last week, pertains to a group of about 50 San Francisco-based content creation workers employed by IT firm Accenture Flex. These workers voted to join the Alphabet Workers Union in 2023.

The NLRB’s claim hinges on the idea that Google shares enough control over these workers’ terms and conditions to be considered their joint employer. This would require Google to engage in collective bargaining with the union and could make the company liable for any violations of federal labor law.

This complaint follows a similar investigation into changes made by Google and Accenture Flex to workers’ conditions without prior bargaining, filed by the union in October. The NLRB had already ruled in January 2024 that Google must bargain with workers at YouTube Music, who were employed by a different staffing firm. An appeals court will review this decision later in the month.

Google, however, has argued that it does not exert sufficient control over its contract workers to be considered their joint employer. The company has also implemented changes, including eliminating a $15-an-hour minimum wage for contractors, in an effort to avoid union negotiations.

The new complaint will be heard by an administrative judge, with the final decision subject to review by the NLRB. This legal development is part of a broader trend of increased labor organizing at Google, which has seen protests over its business practices and employment policies.

 

NXP to Acquire TTTech Auto for $625 Million to Boost Automotive Software Capabilities

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NXP, a leading Dutch chipmaker, has announced it will acquire Austria’s TTTech Auto for $625 million in a strategic move to strengthen its automotive operations. As the largest supplier of chips for vehicles, NXP aims to expand its reach in the growing automotive software sector with this acquisition. TTTech Auto specializes in safety-oriented middleware, which enables a car’s operating system to integrate with various applications, ensure critical functions remain intact, and facilitate software updates.

In a statement, Jens Hinrichsen, NXP’s general manager for automotive embedded systems, explained that the acquisition would bolster the company’s position in the automotive market as carmakers increasingly prioritize software over hardware in vehicle design. He emphasized that the deal would position NXP as a “leading provider of intelligent edge systems” in the automotive sector.

Once the all-cash deal is finalized, TTTech Auto, based in Vienna, along with its management team and 1,100 employees, will be integrated into NXP’s automotive division. This acquisition is expected to enhance NXP’s capabilities in delivering advanced automotive solutions, aligning with the growing demand for smarter, software-driven vehicle technologies.