Alexis Ohanian has acquired a 10% stake in Women’s Super League champions Chelsea.
The Reddit co-founder and husband of tennis great Serena Williams confirmed on social media reports that surfaced earlier on Wednesday saying Ohanian paid £20 million ($26.52 million) for his share of the London-based club.
“I’ve bet big on women’s sports before — and I’m doing it again,” Ohanian wrote in the post. “I’m proud to announce that I’m joining @ChelseaFCW as an investor and board member. I’m honored for the chance to help this iconic club become America’s favorite @BarclaysWSL team and much, much more.”
The 42-year-old has been involved in women’s soccer before and was the largest shareholder of Angel City FC, which he helped launch to great fanfare in 2020, before it was sold for $250 million in 2024.
He also founded Athlos NYC, a women-only track and field meet that hosted its inaugural event in September with the winners each pocketing $60,000.
According to a report in the Times on Wednesday, Ohanian and Williams will be in attendance at Wembley Stadium on Sunday to watch Chelsea take on Manchester United in the women’s FA Cup final.
Chelsea’s women’s team passed from Chelsea FC Holdings Limited to BlueCo, Todd Boehly’s consortium, last June in a deal worth around £198.7 million.
Following the sale, Chelsea Women appointed Aki Mandhar as their first-ever dedicated chief executive officer as part of a “repositioning” effort.
Earlier this month, Chelsea won their sixth consecutive WSL title, finishing unbeaten in their league campaign and setting a points record.
They also won the Women’s League Cup in March and reached the semifinals of the Women’s Champions League, where they were knocked out by holders Barcelona.
Information from Reuters was used in this report.
