Serena Williams’ husband Alexis Ohanian is now a part owner of Chelsea football club female team, as he confirmed this on his official social media handle on Thursday.
Alexis Ohanian who praised the team for their unbeaten record this season, stated that he is proud to become a minority owner and board member of the club.
Posting photos of Chelsea female team and signed Jerseys bearing the names of his kids, he captioned the photos with these words announcing his latest venture:
“I have bet big on women’s sports before, as the founding control owner of Wearangelciyt and I am doing it again.
I am proud to announce that I am joining Chelsea FCW as a minority owner and board member. I am honored for the chance to help this iconic club become America’s favourite Barclays WSL team and much, much more..
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. I have been right about this before and i couldn’t be more excited.
And you know we got the entire family READY. Thanks you to Aki Mandler, our club president and her team for this care package for the girls. Her integrity and focus on a standard of excellence were a huge factor in why this was such a “Hell Yes” type investment.
Bio officially updated: See you all SUNDAY! Up the Chels!,” he said.
Ohanian, who is married to tennis great Serena Williams, will have a seat on Chelsea Women’s board after purchasing a 8-10% share, believed to be worth around £20m.
“This is a landmark day in the history of Chelsea Women and for women’s football in Europe and beyond,” said Aki Mandhar, chief executive Chelsea Women.
“This investment is validation of the club’s past success but more importantly it is yet another proof point in the market of the persistent growth and potential of women’s football.
“There is no greater champion of investing in the future of girls and women’s sports than Alexis, and we are incredibly proud to welcome him to the club.”
Alexis Ohanian, who also owns shares in the TGL Golf League, founded social media giant Reddit and has an estimated net worth of $150m, external.
His investment of roughly £20m puts the value of Chelsea Women at more than £200m, which was the worth placed on the club when Chelsea FC Holdings sold the team to a sister company earlier this year to help the club adhere to profit and sustainability rules.
The Blues have put a post-investment valuation on the club at £245m.
It marks the latest boardroom change for Chelsea, who recently appointed 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 – a game Ohanian and Williams are expected to attend.
Chelsea also reached the semi-finals of the Women’s Champions League, but were knocked out by holders Barcelona 8-2 on aggregate.