Alexis Ohanian, who co-founded Reddit and is married to tennis star Serena Williams, recently shared his excitement about investing in Chelsea Women’s FC. He mentioned that this move aims to “finally match talent with resources and respectable respect.”
It was announced on Wednesday that Ohanian had acquired a 10% stake in the women’s super league champion for £20 million. While Chelsea hasn’t officially commented on the news, Ohanian took to social media to confirm the investment.
In a LinkedIn post, he remarked, “I’ve made a significant commitment to women’s sports before, and I’m doing it again. I am proud to announce my involvement with Chelsea Women’s FC as both an investor and executive. It’s truly an honor to help this iconic club become America’s favorite WSL team.”
Currently, Sonia Bompastor’s team is having a great season, remaining unbeaten in the league. They are set to face Manchester United in the Women’s FA Cup final on Sunday. Ohanian expressed his enthusiasm, stating, “I couldn’t be more excited.”
He also praised Chelsea Women’s chief executive, Aki Mandhar, highlighting her integrity and excellence as key factors in making this investment a “Hell Yes” decision.
Ohanian appeared to confirm the reported investment amount of £20 million, which initially surfaced in the Times. He even playfully noted, “Chels Up the Chels!”
This investment values the women’s division at £200 million, matching the valuation given when the club sold the women’s team to its affiliate, Blueco 22 Midco Ltd, last June.
Previously, Ohanian invested in Angel City, a women’s football club in Los Angeles, which was sold last year to Disney CEO Bob Iger for $250 million, setting an NWSL record.
