Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian buys minority stake in Chelsea women’s team
Chelsea players celebrate winning the WSL trophy this season.
By Ben Church, CNN
(CNN) — Entrepreneur and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian has continued his investment into women’s sport by purchasing a minority stake in English soccer club Chelsea FC Women.
The 42-year-old, who will now sit on the board, announced the deal on Thursday, saying he was “proud” to help this “iconic club” to become the most popular Women’s Super League (WSL) team in the US.
Chelsea is already one of the most successful teams in women’s soccer and recently secured its sixth consecutive league title – without losing a single game.
The team is now on the hunt for a domestic treble which it can complete when it faces Manchester United in the Women’s FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium on Sunday.
“These players are rewriting the game. Undefeated season. Eyes on the treble. But this isn’t just about winning titles. It’s about finally matching their talent with the resources, visibility, and respect they deserve,” Ohanian, who is married to tennis legend Serena Williams, said on Instagram.
“I’ve been right about this before and I couldn’t be more excited.”
British media reported on Wednesday that Ohanian had purchased a 10% share of the club worth more than $26 million. It was a figure he appeared to confirm by screenshotting a photo of an article which referenced that figure.
Chelsea confirmed the new investment in a statement on Thursday, saying that Ohanian brought with him “a wealth of experience, energy and passion for women’s sports that will help take Chelsea Women to the next level and shine a light on the potential of the sport here in the UK.”
The club did not confirm details around the deal, but CNN Sports has reached out to the club for comment.
In his statement on social media, Ohanian also praised Chelsea Women’s new CEO Aki Mandhar.
“Her integrity and focus on a standard of excellence were a huge factor in why this was such a ‘Hell Yes’-type investment,” he added.
More investment
It’s not the first time that Ohanian has invested in women’s soccer.
In 2022, he was the founding investor of Angel City FC, a Los Angeles-based team that now plays in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) – the top division of women’s soccer in the US.
The club then became the most valuable women’s professional sports team in the world after a huge takeover agreement in 2024.
Ohanian also founded Athlos, a women’s-only track and field event that debuted last year. The event offers $60,000 for race winners and aims to champion female athletes across the world.
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