Serena Williams’ husband Alexis Ohanian, loves to be the change. He wants to be an example for others and inspire them to chase excellence. Talking about bringing a change, he once said, “The silver lining of women’s sports being so underinvested was that they were so easy to invest in. You can try anything you want. There is no way that things have been done before.” According to a report published by Deloitte, it predicted that in 2024 the global women’s sports industry will probably break the $1 billion barrier. Ohanian has already made quite a few investments in women’s sports. He became a founding investor in the Los Angeles NWSL team Angel City FC in 2020. It was a decision made by pure intuition at that time, and that’s how he entered the soccer world. Fast forward, five years, he has added yet another feather to his cap, and here’s what his wife, Williams, had to say about this..
In 2020, Ohanian became the largest shareholder of Angel City before it was sold for $250 million in 2024. Now, the Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian has also bought a stake in Chelsea’s women’s soccer team.
According to various reports across the British media, Ohanian has purchased a 10% stake for about 20 million pounds ($26.5 million). As per the reports, he’ll now joining the Women’s Super League champions as an investor and board member.
Recently, he also shared an update on this through an IG post saying, “I’ve bet big on women’s sports before—as the founding control owner of @weareangelcity—and I’m doing it again. I’m proud to announce that I’m joining @chelseafcw as a minority owner and board member. I’m honored for the chance to help this iconic club become America’s favorite @barclayswsl team and much, much more.” Seeing this post, Serena Williams shared it on her IG stories with the caption, “ANOTHER ONE FOR @776FUND AND @ALEXISOHANIAN .”
Chelsea is one of the most successful teams in the WSL, having won the league title eight times. Having already clinched the season’s title and the League Cup, they’re now aiming for the treble with a win against the arch-rivals Manchester United in the FA Cup. Will Ohanian attend that match at Wembley?
In that same IG post, Serena Williams’ husband wrote, “These players are rewriting the game. Undefeated season. Eyes on the treble. But this isn’t just about winning titles. It’s about finally matching their talent with the resources, visibility, and respect they deserve. I’ve been right about this before and I couldn’t be more excited. And you know we got the entire family READY. Thank you to Aki Mandhar, our club President, and her team for this care package for the girls — her integrity and focus on a standard of excellence were a huge factor in why this was such a ‘Hell Yes’-type investment. Bio officially updated. See you all SUNDAY! Up the Chels!“
Chelsea was in tremendous form this year, not losing any of their 22 matches, winning 19 of them, and drawing the other three fixtures in the league. With Ohanian’s arrival, they have added yet another champion to their team! What encourages Alexis Ohanian to make these investments in women’s sports, though?
Serena Williams’ husband, Alexis Ohanian, reveals the real motivating factor behind his investment in Angel City FC
According to Alexis Ohanian, the core motivating factor behind these massive investments in women’s sports is Serena Williams. Why? “Serena Williams is the prototype for how you can show women’s sports is and can be and should be on the same level as men’s,” he said in a previous interview with CNBC.
Talking about his investments in soccer in particular, in March 2021, Ohanian claimed that NWSL is a better investment than MLS. “The value of being associated with these women, I think, is a greater brand value than being associated with their male counterparts. And that’s no disrespect to the MLS. I think they’re doing amazing work. But I just think the amount that the women are undervalued is preposterous.“ He believes that American fans are realizing there are amazing talents all over the world playing the sport, and importantly, the very best women in the world are all Americans (according to him). But that can’t be said about soccer players on the men’s side.
Perhaps that was one of his reasons behind that investment, and other than that, their daughter Olympia also played a crucial role in their investment at the Angel City FC. How? “A big part of the reason why I started Angel City FC was because Olympia was running around, this is 2019 in a Alex Morgan jersey,” Ohanian revealed in a previous interview.
Not just Ohanian, even Serena Williams has taken various initiatives recently to uplift women’s sports further. She feels it’s really important to show up and be there for young girls. “Our athletes shouldn’t have to feel like they aren’t being supported.” Other than the Angel City FC, Williams already has a stake in the Miami Dolphins (NFL), and the Los Angeles Golf Club (TGL), and just a few months ago, she joined the ownership group of the WNBA team, Toronto Tempo.
After seeing this move from his wife, Alexis Ohanian shared his pride saying, “Couldn’t imagine a better owner for Toronto than @serenawilliams — the Tempo just got an owner who CHAMPIONS women & excellence — made a career being her authentic self — opening doors for a generation & reshaping the sports world around her — the WNBA is lucky to have her.” Seeing Williams’ re-sharing Ohanian’s recent post on his recent investment reminded us of this similar moment, which reflected their love and support for each other. Share your thoughts on Alexis Ohanian becoming an investor in the Chelsea FC women’s club.
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