Dana White has worked damn hard to get where he is today.
Way back before Conor McGregor had even thought about a career in mixed martial arts, Dana White was building the Ultimate Fighting Championship into the sport’s premier promotion.
In 2001, White convinced childhood friend Lorenzo Fertitta to buy the UFC from Semaphore Entertainment Group for what now seems like a laughable $2m. White was installed as president of the company and given a 9% stake in Zuffa, LLC – the group which was set up to run and manage UFC.
One day after the the landmark UFC 200 event, it was announced that the promotion would be sold to WME-IMG and MSD for an eye-watering $4bn, which puts White in for a frankly ridiculous payday.
For his efforts of expanding the company over the last decade and a half, White’s 9% stake in the company is now worth a whopping $360m.
But that doesn’t mean he’s walking away from the octagon any time soon, as it was announced that White will be staying on as UFC president.
To be honest, if we were in the same situation and something we had worked so hard on had made us that rich, we’d probably retire to our own Caribbean island and sip mojitos on the beach.
You’ve got to admire his desire and work ethic, but seriously Dana, you’ve done it. Just take the money and run.
As it stands, White’s 9% stake is good for about $18m a year according to ESPN.
