Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian shares powerful message after learning "refugee camp" truth about his Armenian grandmother

Serena Williams' husband, Alexis Ohanian, wished his grandparents were here to see how his life has shaped up. The Reddit co-founder penned his wish after he got to know from his father Chris that his Armenian grandmother was born in a refugee camp.

On Thursday, January 23, Ohanian took to X (formerly Twitter) and wrote:

"Learning so much this week. Dad casually told me that my Armenian (flag emoji) grandmother was born in a refugee camp. 😤 If only they could see me now 🙏"

Ohanian's paternal grandparents faced the horrors of the Armenian genocide, which took place during World War I. The genocide was carried out by the Ottoman Committee of Union and Progress and resulted in the estimated deaths of around 600,000 to 1.5 million Armenians. However, Ohanian's grandparents escaped, fleeing to the US as refugees.

Their only child, Chris, grew up to work in the US as a pharmacy technician and travel agent. He eventually met and married German immigrant Anke and the couple welcomed their only child, Alexis Ohanian, to the world, in April 1983. Ohanian would garner recognition after co-founding social media platform Reddit in 2005. Today, he is a serial investor and entrepreneur and had an estimated net worth of $150 million in 2024 (as per Marca).

In 2015, Ohanian met tennis legend Serena Williams and the two soon started dating. Two years later, the couple became parents to daughter Olympia and soon got hitched. Williams, a former World No. 1 and 23-time singles Major winner, gave birth to the couple's second child, daughter Adira River, in 2023.

Almost two years ago, Alexis Ohanian purchased three Armenian carpets and spoke up about why he bought them in an interview.

---

"These carpets are for Olympia" - Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian in early 2023

Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian (left) holding daughter Olympia (right) (Source: Getty)

After buying three Armenian carpets in early 2023, Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian told Forbes about his wish for his children to stay in touch with his Armenian roots. Ohanian also spared a thought for those in the world who have no option but to escape from their native countries due to social, political, and/or economic reasons.

"These carpets are for Olympia. And who knows any other kids we might have. Knock on wood, this is not a country I'm planning on fleeing. But I know not everyone has that opportunity," Ohanian told Forbes.

Alexis Ohanian has also made significant moves over the years to facilitate the growth of women's sports in the US. He is a co-owner of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) franchise Angel City FC and the founder of the lucrative women's-only track and field competition, Athlos.