Serena Williams' tech mogul husband buys £20m stake in Chelsea Women
Chelsea Women have found a new investor in Alexis Ohanian, an American tech mogul and husband to legendary tennis player Serena Williams.
The New Yorker, who co-founded social media site Reddit in 2005, has purchased a 10 per cent stake in the WSL champions, worth £20million.
Ohanian announced the investment in a post on X, writing: 'I've bet big on women's sports before—and I'm doing it again.
'I'm honoured for the chance to help this iconic club become every American's favourite [Barclays WSL] team and much, much more.'
He will sit on the club's board, and 23-time major winner Williams is also expected to be involved in the running of the club.
Both are also expected to attend the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, where Chelsea will face Manchester United as they look to complete a domestic treble, having already won the League Cup and gone unbeaten in the WSL.
Ohanian had previously been a majority shareholder in National Women's Soccer League side Angel City FC, which last year became the most expensive team in women's football, selling for £190m. He also founded Athlos NYC, a women-only track and field meet that hosted its inaugural event in September, with the winners each pocketing $60,000.
The deal effectively marks Chelsea Women as the most valuable club in the women's game at £200m, which could have implications for Chelsea's financial fair play standing. The club's owners had avoided a Profit and Sustainability Rules violation last year after selling the women's team to a sister company for £200m. The Premier League has yet to approve that valuation as 'fair market value', but Ohanian's investment will help Chelsea's case.
Following the sale, Chelsea Women appointed Aki Mandhar as their first-ever dedicated chief executive officer as part of a "repositioning" effort.
The deal also serves as a boost for the women's game as a whole. Average WSL attendances have dropped by 9 per cent this year, though Ohanian and Chelsea reportedly expect the game to grow at speed in years to come, with this summer's European Championships also likely to prompt an uptick in interest.
Additional reporting: Reuters
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