CELEBRITY
Despite $250 Million Legacy, Serena Williams’ Husband Alexis Ohanian Vows to ‘Do Better’ in Soul-Stirring Message to Daughter Olympia
If you want to set some ‘dad goals’ for yourself, look at Serena Williams’ husband and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian for instance. Tell us what he has not done for his daughters! That too, alongside his super-busy business life. From making pancakes to using AI for Olympia’s homework to making his daughters owners of sports teams before they reach double-figure age- the span is awe-inspiring. But it seems that the tech-mogul has more thoughtful and innovative moves to come for them in the coming days.
In an adorable Instagram post on November 7, Ohanian shared two pics with Olympia, spanning across the years. In one, the 7-year-old is in her father’s arms as an infant, while in the next one, the two are sitting side by side, spending quality time with a gadget in hand. The business dad seems to be passing a few crucial lessons to Olympia already!
He captioned the post with a heartwarming message, which displayed his spirit to go beyond boundaries for his daughters. Referring to the snippets, he wrote, “Then ➡️ Now. I’ll keep Fighting for you & your sis. And I’ll do better.” Well, Ohanian has made a name for making things better. His Reddit, which initially did not see much success, has its stock value increased by 15% since it was first launched, after entering the public markets in March. This business acumen has translated into his moves for his daughters as well. Look at this.
In 2020, Ohanian became a founding investor in the Los Angeles NWSL team Angel City FC alongside his then-two-year-old daughter, Olympia, making her the youngest owner of a professional sports team. The decision was not a random one. Ohanian took his cue from one incident.
Reign FC, the Seattle outpost of the National Women’s Soccer League, was sold for a mere $3.5 million in 2020. According to Ohanian, its star athlete, Megan Rapinoe, alone would have been worth $3 million. Looking at that, he realized how under-invested women’s sports were. Making Olympia an owner also was not just out of the blue.
“As someone who spends hours kicking around a football with my two-year-old daughter, I want her to have a front-row seat to this revolution. I’m personally investing on behalf of my family because creating more opportunities in women’s sports is important to my wife and me, and we want to be a part of making a better future for our daughter,” Ohanian had said. The return of the move was smashing, to say the least.
In July, Disney chief executive Bob Iger and his wife Willow Bay, a dean at the University of Southern California, became the new majority controlling owner of the team, valuing it at $250 million. As reported by Reuters, “Angel City have amassed numerous commercial partners and season-ticket holders and have played in packed stadiums since their debut season in 2022. In 2023, the club generated the highest revenue of any women’s team in the world, and topped the NWSL in attendance, sponsorship and total revenue.” Interestingly, that was not the only investment he made for his daughter in that year.