Reddit Co-Founder Alexis Ohanian Invests £20m in Chelsea Women, Elevating Club's Value

Chelsea Women have secured a substantial investment of £20 million from Alexis Ohanian, the American internet entrepreneur and co-founder of Reddit. This acquisition of a 10 per cent stake reportedly values the club at £200 million, making Chelsea Women the most valuable entity in women's football. As part of the deal, Ohanian will join the board, and his wife, tennis legend Serena Williams, is also anticipated to have involvement.

Announcing the investment on X (formerly Twitter), Ohanian stated, “I’ve made significant investments in women’s sports before—and I’m doing it again. I’m honored by the opportunity to help this iconic club become the favorite [Barclays WSL] team for every American and achieve even greater things.” In a nod to his new club, he added, “Up the Chels!” Ohanian and Williams are expected to be present at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, May 17th, for the FA Cup final, where Chelsea will compete against Manchester United to potentially secure a domestic treble, having already won the League Cup and their sixth consecutive Women’s Super League title.

This investment reflects Ohanian’s increasing interest in women’s sports. He previously held a majority stake in Angel City FC, which became the world’s most expensive women’s football team with a sale price of £190 million. He also founded Athlos NYC, a women-only track and field event offering significant prize money to promote gender equality in athletics.

Chelsea Women were recently sold to a related company for £200 million in a strategic move aimed at avoiding potential breaches of football’s Profit and Sustainability Rules. While the Premier League has yet to confirm the fairness of this valuation, Ohanian’s high-profile investment is likely to bolster Chelsea’s financial standing.

In another development for the club, Chelsea recently appointed Aki Mandhar as their first-ever chief executive officer as part of a broader repositioning strategy. Despite a 9 per cent decrease in average WSL attendance this year, Chelsea and their new investors are optimistic about the significant growth potential of the women’s game, particularly with the upcoming European Championships expected to generate renewed interest.