If you’re hunting for a blueprint on how to rewrite the rules, look no further than Alexis Ohanian, the Reddit co-founder, powerhouse entrepreneur, and proud husband to Serena Williams. This man isn’t just talking the talk; he’s building legacies. Case in point? Women’s sports. Be it Angel City FC, Athlos, or Chelsea Women FC, Ohanian’s passion for leveling the game burns as bright as ever. Last year, he made it loud and clear: “A lot of people are shocked by the sudden surge in valuation around women’s sports. Do you know who is definitely not shocked? Me.” 

Yes, there was no dearth of doubters. In fact, one of them was Serena Williams herself. Despite opening her husband’s eyes to the possibility that women’s sports can be worth “as much in dollars” as in feelings, the 23x Grand Slam winner tried to talk Ohanian out of investing in Angel City FC. Of course, it wasn’t because she didn’t believe in the potential it had, but because she had learned firsthand how hard it can be. However, Ohanian knew what he was doing with his money. Cut to the present, that same Angel City FC has become one of the foundations of Ohanian’s belief that his eldest Olympia will grow up in a fairer world.

Alexis Ohanian is shaping change with a force only a few can harness and many misuse: capitalism. Sharing a snippet of his conversation with Moira Forbes at the Forbes3050 Summit on his Instagram, the visionary investor laid it out plainly: “Capitalism can be a powerful force for change, and a sold-out stadium for @weareangelcity is one of the best examples I’ve ever seen of it. When money talks—even the haters have to listen.” That fire isn’t just limited to women’s sports; it’s blazing across both sides of the game, reshaping the business of belief and breaking old myths wide open.

As Olympia, his daughter with Serena Williams, grows, Ohanian sees the shift happening right before her eyes. She’s seven now, but by 18, he sees her walking into a world where balance exists in places it never did. “Ten years from now, when my oldest, Olympia, is 18, I think most of the major sports will be seeing quite comparable pay. This is what I think is the very best of Capitalism,” he added. It’s a future he’s not just predicting, he’s building it, brick by brick, investment by investment.

Rewind to 2019, and the noise was deafening. “Back in March in 19, when everyone started telling me, Oh no one watches women’s sports, you’re gonna waste all your money,” he recalled. But then the tides turned, and the critics were silenced. “The loudest detractors had to take a seat once they saw 22,000 people in a sold-out crowd for Angel City’s opener.” 

Ohanian went all in and became the largest shareholder of Angel City FC in 2020. Fast forward to 2024, the team was sold for a stunning $250 million. Talk about flipping the script. And if there was any doubt left, Ohanian crushed it with words that cut through: 

“Capitalism can be a tremendous force for social change, and I think this is one of the great examples of it. It gives me some hope to see this thing that I know is not always an engine for social progress in a demonstrable way to prove, yes, these women deserve it.” He wrapped it with truth sharp as steel: “The folks who believe in women sports, they were on board, the folks who weren’t, probably though no amount of coercion would have, and if you have that many people paying attention, and that many dollars flowing into in these teams, you now have to just get take your seat and say, ‘okay, yeah, I guess, I was wrong.’ Like Ball, Don’t lie, this money doesn’t lie.”

And as the 42-year-old now hopes for a revolutionary shift, Alexis Ohanian has the same conviction for Chelsea Women FC as he did for Angel City.

Alexis Ohanian shares a strong belief in Chelsea Women FC

Alexis Ohanian wasn’t always passionate about soccer—in his younger years, he played mostly because he had to, not because he loved it. His parents had banned football until high school, so soccer was his default. That all changed in 2019, when he watched the FIFA Women’s World Cup and saw his daughter Olympia proudly wearing an Alex Morgan jersey. As he saw those women dominating the world stage, a new dream was born; he imagined Olympia out there one day, fearless and unstoppable.

Fast forward to May this year, and Ohanian has once again raised the stakes in women’s sports. Just days ago, Serena Williams’ husband added another bold chapter to his mission by purchasing a 10% stake in Chelsea Women for roughly £20 million ($26.5 million). 

The ink on the deal was barely dry when Ohanian, joined by Serena and Olympia, showed up at Wembley to witness a historic night. Chelsea Women capped off their season with a 3-0 victory over Manchester United in the FA Cup final, completing a flawless domestic treble. They had previously secured the League Cup and clinched their sixth straight Women’s Super League title, all while maintaining an unbeaten home record for the entire campaign. Power. Precision. Legacy.

However, the European dream remains just out of reach. Chelsea fell short in the Champions League semifinals, bowing out to defending champions Barcelona with an 8-2 aggregate loss. Yet with a rock-solid core, an elite manager, and global power players like Ohanian backing their mission, the Blues are setting the stage for something even bigger in the seasons ahead.

Speaking to BBC Sport, Ohanian didn’t hold back: “Chelsea is very unique. These are the queens of global soccer, and they’ve got the trophy case to prove it. This is a very special club. The sky is the limit.” And when he said, “You heard our president say this club is unapologetically ambitious – I want to get that tattooed on me,” he wasn’t joking; he’s all in. 

For Ohanian, this isn’t just about investment, it’s a revolution. A fight to crown women’s sports as the future it was always meant to be.