Throwback: Dwayne Johnson's 400 million-plus social media following is all thanks to Dana White

Dwayne Johnson, one of the most followed celebrities on social media today, revealed that UFC President Dana White played a key role in convincing him to join social media platforms.

During a recent conversation with Shannon Sharpe on his podcast Club Shay Shay, White recounted how he encouraged a social media hesitant Johnson to take the plunge. White even assigned his own social media team to help Johnson set up his accounts and get him started.

"Yeah, at the time he wasn’t on social media and I was like are you nuts?... I actually got the people that ran my social media, I put on his to get him up and started and kind of get him going. And obviously you know the guy’s a trailblazer now in social media, and one of the biggest followed humans on earth." [H/t: FirstSportz]

Check out Dana White's comments below:

Johnson himself confirmed White's claims in the comments section of an Instagram post reporting the news last year:

"Very true story"

Check out Dwayne Johnson's comment below:

Dwayne Johnson reacts to Dana White's comments

Johnson joined Instagram in 2013 and has since amassed a massive following of over 400 million on his social handles. His online presence has undoubtedly played a significant role in solidifying his status as a global icon.

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Dana White predicts Oscar nomination for Dwayne Johnson

UFC CEO Dana White believes Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson's upcoming movie role could be his ticket to an Oscar.

Johnson is portraying former MMA champion Mark Kerr in the biographical film 'The Smashing Machine.' White, during an interview, highlighted Johnson's dedication to the project, referencing the actor's recent Instagram post about an injury sustained while filming.

''I don’t know if you saw it, but he was showing on his Instagram the other day that he messed up his elbow. The Rock’ will kill this. He will nail this role. I know how serious he’s taking this, I know who’s working with him, and I know how hard he’s working on this film. I think that this could be the opportunity for ‘The Rock’ to actually be nominated for an Oscar.'' [H/t: Collider]