(NewsNation) — Dana White, the CEO and president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, has a net worth of $500 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
White has been credited with increasing the popularity of the UFC and turning it into a multibillion-dollar company. He has also launched Zuffa Boxing and been involved in many philanthropic efforts.
Dana White’s history with UFC
White’s net worth skyrocketed when he became president of the UFC. When White was managing fighters, he found out that Semaphore Entertainment Group, UFC’s parent company, was close to going broke. So, he reached out to his childhood friend, Lorenzo Fertitta, and told him to make an offer.
Fertitta and his older brother, Frank, paid $2 million for an 81% stake in the UFC in 2001. Then, they appointed White as president of the fighting league. After the company was sold in 2016 for $4 billion, White continued his role as president. He also made a profit of around $360 million since he owned a 9% stake at the time.
FILE – Dana White, president of UFC, speaks at a news conference after the UFC 229 mixed martial arts event in Las Vegas, on Oct. 6, 2018. (AP Photo/John Locher, File) 
Dana White, CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), joined NewsNation’s town hall Wednesday. 
Former President Donald Trump, right, talks to Dana White while attending the UFC 302 mixed martial arts event Saturday, June 1, 2024, in Newark, N.J. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II) 
Dana White, President-elect Donald Trump, Elon Musk and Kid Rock attend UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) 
President-elect Donald Trump poses for a photo with Dana White, Kid Rock and Elon Musk at UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) 
Former UFC bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey is inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame by UFC president Dana White in 2018
White became the host of “Dana White’s Contender Series” in 2017. The series is only available on UFC Fight Pass, which is the company’s streaming service. He also signed a contract in 2019 to remain the president of the UFC until at least 2026.
When it comes to real estate, White purchased a mansion in the Pine Island Court area of Las Vegas for $1.95 million in 2006. Then, between October 2016 and June 2017, he acquired three additional properties for a total of about $6.2 million. Those homes were demolished, and now, White lives in a larger mansion with his family.
It has also been reported that White has spent $3 million on blackjack nights and $2.8 million per week for a yacht rental.
Dana White controversy
White has faced a bit of controversy during his career, first when he allegedly used explicit and derogatory language toward reporter Loretta Hunt in 2009. Hunt had run a report about White that he didn’t like, and he reportedly used antigay slurs when referring to some of the reporter’s sources.
The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation asked UFC and White at the time to apologize for using the slurs, and he did.
Then, in 2023, White was reportedly seen arguing with his wife at a New Year’s Eve party in Mexico. His wife, Anne, allegedly slapped White, causing him to slap her back. This was all caught on camera. Anne and White both took responsibility for the fight, blaming it on the alcohol, and later apologized.