Reddit founder Ohanian buys £20m stake in Chelsea women

Reddit founder Alexis Ohanian has bought a stake in Women's Super League champions Chelsea.

Ohanian, who is the husband of American tennis star Serena Williams, will have a seat on the club's board after purchasing a 10% share, believed to be worth £20m.

In a post to X, external, Ohanian said: "I've bet big on women's sports before, and I'm doing it again.

"I'm proud to announce that I'm joining Chelsea as an investor and board member. I'm honored for the chance to help this iconic club become every American's favorite WSL team and much, much more."

He also posted images of Chelsea kits with the names of his children, Olympia and Adira, on the backs.

The 42-year-old has invested in women's football previously, as the largest shareholder in American club side Angel City FC until it was sold in 2024 for £192.3 million - the highest price for a women's sports team until this deal.

Ohanian, who also owns shares in the TGL Golf League, founded social media giant Reddit and has an estimated net worth of $150 billion, external.

His £20m investment puts the value of Chelsea women at £200m, which was the value placed on the club when Chelsea FC Holdings sold the team to a sister company earlier this year to help the Blues adhere to profit and sustainability rules.

It marks the latest boardroom change for Chelsea, who recently appointed Aki Mandhar as their first dedicated chief executive officer for the women's team.

Earlier this month, Chelsea won their sixth consecutive WSL title. They became the first side to finish a 22-game campaign unbeaten and set a new league record of 60 points.

They also won the Women's League Cup in March and are going for a domestic treble when they meet Manchester United in the Women's FA Cup final at Wembley on Sunday.

Chelsea also reached the semi-finals of the Women's Champions League, but were knocked out by holders Barcelona 8-2 on aggregate.