As CEO, president, and the enduring face of the UFC, Dana White has spent nearly 25 years growing the once-obscure MMA brand in Las Vegas and globally.
His efforts elevated him into the upper echelons of sports leadership and helped turn UFC into a multibillion-dollar enterprise, bolstered in part by Donald Trump’s early support (per Business Insider).
Now 55, White heads the top global provider of pay-per-view events, making public curiosity about his immense fortune even more intense. Pinpointing his actual net worth is tricky, though, due to undisclosed business deals, the fluctuating stock value of TKO Group Holdings, and UFC’s shadowy bonus system.
Former UFC fighter Josh Thomson claimed White made around $700 million from his TKO equity alone. That doesn’t even include his other ventures, sponsorship deals, and fast-growing portfolio of assets.
So, is the Trump-backed UFC boss really worth that much? Or are the estimates inflated by the legend of this high-stakes gambler?
What Is Dana White’s Net Worth?
Image credits: Jeff Bottari / Gettyimages
Dana White’s net worth currently stands at an estimated $500 million, based on recent data from Celebrity Net Worth.
As the longtime CEO and public face of the UFC, White reportedly earns around $20 million annually, including revenue shares from events, sponsorships, and endorsement deals.
His substantial wealth stems from over 20 years of steering the UFC, a company he and his partners acquired for just $2 million back in 2001.
The UFC’s explosive growth into a multi-billion-dollar powerhouse is often attributed to Donald Trump’s early support, which helped propel the organization into the mainstream.
Image credits: Jeff Bottari / Gettyimages
“Any good thing that happened to me in my career? Donald Trump was the first to pick up the phone, call, and say congratulations,” White said in a 2018 interview with The Hill.
As of November 2024, the UFC’s valuation reached a staggering $12 billion.
Dana White’s Equity Stakes and Windfalls
During his tenure with the UFC, Dana White reportedly earned $360 million from his 9% stake in the company (per The Guardian).
In 2016, Zuffa LLC finalized a massive $4 billion sale of the UFC to a group led by talent agency WME-IMG, setting a record for the highest sale in sports history (per The Washington Post).
The UFC merged with World Wrestling Entertainment in 2023, forming TKO Group Holdings, a $21.4 billion sports entertainment titan (via Los Angeles Times).
Though Dana White’s specific residual stake in TKO remains unclear, former UFC fighter Josh Thomson claimed the UFC president collected hundreds of millions during the merger.
“I believe he’s still a part owner,” Thomson stated on a May 2025 episode of the Weighing In podcast. “They gave him a percentage when they did the buyout. They gave him another percentage of the company, so that would make sense.”
While the exact details of White’s stock ownership in TKO are unknown, Thomson floated a staggering figure: “He got paid out on his ownership from the first time, which gave him the $700 million or whatever that he made, and he’s still part owner in this.”
Given the UFC’s opaque structure, vesting timelines, and performance-related conditions, some of White’s potential gains may still be unrealized.
How Dana White Makes (And Loses) His Money
The UFC’s controversial pay-per-view points system is another major source of income for Dana White, who has promoted incentive-based payments to drive fighter motivation.
“When you become a world champion, you become a partner,” he said on a 2024 episode of the Vivek Ramaswamy podcast.
White has often faced criticism for allegedly underpaying fighters. A Las Vegas judge approved a class action settlement requiring the UFC to pay $375 million to fighters who accused the organization of antitrust violations.
While media outlets estimate fighter pay based on disclosed purses and PPV bonuses, these reports often underestimate actual payouts.
Image credits: UFC / Instagram
Fighters are also said to receive secret locker-room bonuses. Former champion Daniel Cormier confirmed this practice, revealing in a DC & Helwani interview that he received a $1 million check after his first fight with Jon Jones.
Outside of fight revenue, White reportedly profits heavily from his brand endorsements. His deals include Monster Energy and Topps, which he promotes to over 10 million Instagram followers.
Despite his savvy business record, White is known for extravagant gambling. “I bet a million dollars on Taylor and he got destroyed,” he told ESPN, admitting he’s a “degenerate gambler.”
Dana White’s Real Estate Portfolio and Vehicle Inventory
Dana White owns nine homes on his childhood street in Levant, Maine, a total of 60 acres that he merged into a sprawling estate (per Daily Mail).
His additional property holdings include 30 acres near Kenduskeag Road and another three acres near Black Stream Drive.
He also purchased a $7.6 million luxury mansion in Las Vegas, featuring a home gym, arcade, basketball court, lap pool, and a pantry stocked with cookies, powdered doughnuts, and Cheetos mac and cheese (via The Sun).
White’s extravagant Las Vegas office includes samurai swords from the 1500s, a rare sabre-tooth tiger skull fossil, an AK-47 wrapped in dollar bills, a $1.3 million Iraqi Yakuza painting, a nude photo of Victoria’s Secret model Stephanie Seymour, and a fully stocked bar (per The Sun).
The UFC CEO also collects high-end vehicles and aircraft. His garage includes a $267,000 black Ferrari Spider F430, a $25,000 custom Harley Davidson, and a Bombardier jet worth anywhere between $3.8 million and $114 million (per The Sun).
Image credits: Celebrity Cars / Facebook
White’s asset empire also includes ownership of the slap-fighting league Power Slap, a stake in Howler Head whiskey (per UFC), and an investment in the Anheuser-Busch and 1st Phorm collaboration (via Forbes).
What the Future Holds for Dana White’s UFC
Dana White is optimistic about the UFC’s future, anticipating a broader platform as media rights talks progress.
“The world’s going to change a lot in the next year with our rights deals,” he said on the Full Send podcast. “More than likely, we’re going to end up with a platform that is way more global than we are now.”
The UFC president has ramped up global expansion in recent years. In 2022, his slap-fighting promotion, Power Slap, announced a major partnership with Rumble, which rapidly fueled the league’s growth.
“In less than a month, we’ve seen substantial growth and interest in Power Slap through our existing partnership with Rumble. The power of Rumble’s global platform and fast-growing user base convinced us that having Rumble be our digital home to debut our marquee series was absolutely the right move,” said Frank Lamicella, President of Power Slap.
White is also eyeing expansion into France, Mexico, China, and African nations by hosting events and building performance institutes (per ESPN).
“Our goal is to open the sport everywhere,” White said.
He added, “We’re still a very young sport. And who else as young as us has been able to make a global impact the way that we have? I’d say nobody.”
Still, his ambitions face legal, regulatory, and market hurdles. Even White admitted uncertainty about the future. When asked for updates on the negotiations, he said there was “nothing” new to share, only that UFC is “in the middle of talks.”
Dana White’s Philanthropic Side vs. His Public Image
Image credits: Cody O’Connor / Instagram
Dana White’s charitable efforts may soften public opinion amid criticism over fighter pay. In 2017, under his leadership, the UFC donated $1 million to support families affected by the Las Vegas shooting (per CNN).
“When bad stuff happens in America in the cities that we love, to people we don’t even know, we are all humans and we dive in and we battle together,” White told CNN’s Don Riddell.
In 2019, he also matched a $100,000 donation from Khabib Nurmagomedov (per SCMP).
White has further contributed by offering his home for fire department training, donating $50,000 to save a young girl’s life, and reportedly helping a bone cancer survivor.
That survivor later shared on Instagram, “Dana and the UFC gave us a tour of the facilities today, donated and are helping promote our message to the world. I can’t thank him and the organization enough.”
Dana White’s success with the UFC has turned him into one of the most influential names in the sports business. See how his fortune stacks up next to other celebrities in our net worth hub
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