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Dana White: It's Never Been About the Money
Earlier this year, when Zuffa sold the UFC to WME-IMG for $4.2 billion dollars, well above the original $2 million dollar price the company had been purchased for 15 years ago, it became clear those at the top of the company were going to add a tremendous amount of wealth to their bottom lines.
Among those who benefited most from the sale was stakeholder and UFC president Dana White. Yet, throughout the sale process and the massive success the UFC has achieved, White insists he is not motivated by the money.
Speaking to Jim Rome for SiriusXM Rush, White expressed his feelings that the windfall from the sale has not changed him in any way, and it’s more about the business of building the UFC product that drives him.
“I’m telling you, I don’t even think about (the money from the sale). You know what I bought since (the sale)? I didn’t buy anything. I bought nothing. I definitely haven’t been on vacation. You know what I mean? I’m not running around, thinking about my money. I’m running around thinking about what’s next,” White told Rome.
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“I had to jump on New York. The New York card wasn’t even done yet. I was so messed up that I didn’t get New York done until the day before the press conference. (That's) when I finished getting that all together. Then, after I got that done, I had to start focusing on the office and what was going on in there, and the changes and the things that were going to happen. I don’t ever sit back and go, ‘You know, I’ve got this money, let somebody else do it.’”
White clarified that he was initially befuddled primarily because his working relationship with UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta was coming to an end due to the sale.
“To be honest with you, my life was perfect,” said White. “Before this whole thing happened, Lorenzo and I had this perfect working relationship, where he did the stuff he liked, and I did the stuff I liked. We were together every day; we had a blast. Even take the worst day ever at the UFC, and we still had fun in there doing what we were doing.
“And it’s true, very much for me, it’s not about the money. It’s about the ride. It’s about doing great things. I’d already made more money than I ever thought I’d make in my life. There are some guys – and I’m not this guy – there are some guys who are so driven by ‘I’ve got to make a billion. I want to be on the Forbes list.’ I’m not that guy.”
When pressed by Rome and company again about money being a motivator, White reiterated that money didn't drive him. He is very much motivated by continuing to build the UFC.
“I’m never going to be that guy,” White said. “That’s not me. I’m not about the money. I don’t care about the money. I’m about this. I’m about Saturday night. You know what I mean? I’m about making big fights. It has nothing to do with money.
“Don’t get me wrong, I love that we broke the gate record at MSG – that’s the (expletive) that I’m in it for. I like breaking records. I like making big fights. I like people going crazy over the fights we build. I’m in it for that. I’m not in it for the money.”
