Serena Williams' $150M-worth husband Alexis Ohanian makes unique connection between building Reddit & women's sports ventures

Alexis Ohanian, the entrepreneur husband of tennis great Serena Williams, has suggested that getting traction for women's sports is akin to his early days as the Founder of Reddit. Ohanian, who is worth $150 million (per Celebrity Net Worth), took to social media in response to a post from one of his employees.

Katelin Holloway is a Founding Partner at Ohanian's early-stage venture capital firm, Seven Seven Six, which raised over $1B in a little over four years. Holloway has written about the cultural importance of sports and bemoaned the fickle nature of sports fans and the difficulty of getting traction in a complicated world.

In a tweet on Tuesday, Holloway wrote:

"The more I experience the fandom of sport, the more I understand why this is a critical pillar of culture. Belongingness is a shortcut to friendship and intimacy, which breeds trust and empathy - something the world needs a lot more these days."

In response, Ohanian targeted the conversation directly at women's sports. The Armenian businessman has donated an undisclosed sum to the University of Virginia (UVA) women's basketball team, representing a long-term commitment to the team. Ohanian referenced Reddit's startup difficulties when he replied:

"It's like we're building @reddit all over again in women's soccer, golf, women's track..."

Alexis and 23-time Major winner Serena Williams have put their money where their mouth is in supporting sport in general but specifically women's sport.

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Alex Ohanian and Serena Williams' various sporting ventures

Athlos NYC - Source: Getty

Ohanian and his Serena Williams' sporting ventures extend beyond tennis and basketball. They are the owners of soccer's Angel City FC, co-owners of the Los Angeles Golf Club, which is one of the six teams participating in Tiger Woods and Rory Mcilroy's much-publicized TGL venture, and Serena Williams has a minority stake in the NFL's Miami Dolphins.

Ohanian told 29news when he was approached to invest in UVA, that he was energized by women's basketball:

“I'm feeling the energy in a loud, excited arena. UVA women’s basketball has such an amazing legacy. I felt this door open for the women’s program. I said what will it take to be able to bring home a championship in the next few years."

Despite these difficulties, Ohanian is a resourceful businessman with a stellar track record of success. His commitment to women's sport appears unwavering, and with the couple's ten-year-old daughter Olympia showing early promise as a golfer, he has personal reasons for future investment.