By Victor Kanayo
Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian has revealed that he has acquired a stake in Chelsea, the serial English women’s football champions.
Ohanian, who is married to tennis great Serena Williams, will have a seat on Chelsea Women’s board after purchasing an 8–10% share, believed to be worth around £20 million.
Meet Ohanian – Young Multi-Million Dollar Investor
The 42-year-old entrepreneur, who married tennis legend Williams in 2017, was previously an investor in the US women’s football club Angel City FC.
Ohanian has also invested in women’s athletics.
He also owns shares in the TGL Golf League, and is the founder of social media giant Reddit, with an estimated net worth of $150 million.
His investment of roughly £20 million places the value of Chelsea Women at more than £200 million, which was the worth placed on the club when Chelsea FC Holdings sold the team to a sister company earlier this year to help comply with profit and sustainability rules.
Ohanian’s latest acquisition marks another boardroom change for Chelsea, who recently appointed Mandhar as their first dedicated chief executive officer for the women’s team.
Chelsea’s Exploits
Chelsea have just secured their sixth consecutive Women’s Super League title, becoming the first team to complete a 22-game campaign unbeaten.
The Blues have set a post-investment valuation of £245 million on the club.
They also won the Women’s League Cup in March and are aiming for a domestic treble when they face Manchester United in the Women’s FA Cup final at Wembley on Sunday – a match Ohanian and Williams are expected to attend.
Chelsea also reached the semi-finals of the Women’s Champions League, but were knocked out by holders Barcelona 8–2 on aggregate.
