logo
Reddit co-founder Ohanian buys 10% stake in WSL side Chelsea, source says

Reddit co-founder Ohanian buys 10% stake in WSL side Chelsea, source says

Reuters14-05-2025

May 14 (Reuters) - Alexis Ohanian, the Reddit co-founder and husband of tennis great Serena Williams, has acquired a 10% stake in Women's Super League champions Chelsea, a source told Reuters.
Ohanian's investment of 20 million pounds ($26.52 million) values the London-based club at about 200 million pounds.
The 42-year-old has been involved in women's soccer before and was the largest shareholder of Angel City, which he helped launch to great fanfare in 2020, before it was sold for $250 million in 2024.
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.
According to a report in the Times on Wednesday, Ohanian and Williams will be in attendance at Wembley Stadium on Sunday to watch Chelsea take on Manchester United in the women's FA Cup final.
Chelsea's women's team passed from Chelsea FC Holdings Limited to BlueCo, Todd Boehly's consortium, last June in a deal worth around 198.7 million pounds.
Following the sale, Chelsea Women appointed Aki Mandhar as their first-ever dedicated chief executive officer as part of a "repositioning" effort.
Earlier this month, Chelsea won their sixth consecutive WSL title, finishing unbeaten in their league campaign and setting a points record.
They also won the Women's League Cup in March and reached the semi-finals of the Women's Champions League, where they were knocked out by holders Barcelona.
($1 = 0.7542 pounds)

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Chelsea to trim sizeable loan group
Chelsea to trim sizeable loan group

BBC News

time33 minutes ago

  • BBC News

Chelsea to trim sizeable loan group

Chelsea are open to the fact that they need to sell a host of players, especially those that spent last season on loan. The club's policy is not to carry a large group of loanees that are not expected or likely to make it into the first team. In their 28-man Club World Cup selection, only one loanee progressed into Enzo Maresca squad from last season, midfielder Andrey Santos. The rest, Raheem Sterling, Axel Disasi, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Djordje Petrovic, Armando Broja, Joao Felix, Renato Veiga, Ben Chilwell, Carney Chukwuemeka, Lesley Ugochukwu and more - are mostly available for sale. The asking price for Kepa is known to be only £5m as he enters the last year of his contract, while Benfica are being credited with serious interest to re-sign Felix. In Sterling's case, the winger made 12 starts on loan at North London club Arsenal last season while the Blues paid around half of his current £300,000-a-week loanees like Alfie Gilchrist, Alex Matos, Leo Castledine and Zak Sturge are also exploring permanent transfers away from Stamford Bridge. Defender Sturge, 20, is in advanced talks about making his loan move at Millwall permanent at the end of the season. Chelsea prefer sales rather than loan moves at this stage but could relax their position later in the transfer window if they struggle to find exits for players. Midfielders Kendry Paez and Mathis Amougou are expected to join Strasbourg on loan while goalkeeper Teddy Sharman-Lowe is in talks over a new contract and potentially joining League One club Bolton Wanderers on loan.

Labour MPs push front bench for ‘crackdown' on ‘dodgy' vape and barber shops
Labour MPs push front bench for ‘crackdown' on ‘dodgy' vape and barber shops

The Independent

time34 minutes ago

  • The Independent

Labour MPs push front bench for ‘crackdown' on ‘dodgy' vape and barber shops

Labour MPs have called for a 'crackdown' on 'dodgy' vape, barber and souvenir shops, which a minister warned 'undermine the legitimate' firms on Britain's high streets. Melanie Onn said she 'really must press' the Government for long-term action to tackle these shops, which MPs heard had links to tax evasion and money laundering, and Joe Powell said well-known London streets such as Portobello Road and Notting Hill Gate are 'blighted'. Business and trade minister Gareth Thomas told MPs that the National Economic Crime Centre (NECC) had visited almost 400 premises during a three-week operation in March, freezing several bank accounts. Mr Powell, the MP for Kensington and Bayswater, told the Commons: 'Small businesses across my constituency on our high streets from Earls Court Road to Queensway, Notting Hill Gate and Portobello Road are fed up of being blighted by candy shops, low-grade souvenir shops, Harry Potter shops and, yes, even barber shops, with accusations of VAT and business rates evasion, and even links to money laundering and serious organised crime.' He urged Mr Thomas to say 'what steps' the Government is taking 'to crack down on these operations and create a legitimate level playing field for our small businesses'. The minister replied: 'We've been working with colleagues in the Home Office and the National Crime Agency (NCA) to take action to crackdown on illegitimate businesses that threaten to undermine the legitimate ones that are on all of our high streets. 'In March, the NECC co-ordinated a three-week crackdown against barber shops and other cash-intensive businesses where there were concerns, visiting almost 400 premises, securing freezing orders over a series of bank accounts totalling more than £1 million.' In response, Ms Onn said: 'I really do need to press him because my constituents in Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes are equally as fed up as (Mr Powell) of seeing high streets dominated by dodgy vape shops, unlicensed barbers.' She said 'some of them are legitimate' but asked: 'Is he working closely with the Home Office to try and tackle this blight because I think we probably need a national strategy, not a three-week operation?' Mr Thomas said he recognised 'a concern up and down the country' and added the NCA and Home Office 'are seeking to take action against illegitimate business'. He said a Government commitment to bolster police forces with 13,000 extra officers and special constables, backed by an uplift to forces' 'spending power' of 2.3% per year unveiled in Wednesday's spending review, 'will help'. In a viral video, Conservative shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick claimed 'weird Turkish barber shops' were 'chipping away at society', along with fare evasion, when he caught passengers allegedly 'bumping' London Underground ticket barriers on camera. 'The state needs to reassert itself and go after lawbreakers,' he said. Conservative MP Graham Stuart said that if a book which Labour MP for Central Ayrshire Alan Gemmell is writing were a 'political thriller about fighting for small business', then he was 'sure it features five heroes on the front bench opposite, doing everything they can to promote small business'. Ministers laughed and pointed at Tory MPs when Mr Stuart added: 'Readers will ask 'who is the villain of the piece?'' The Beverley and Holderness MP suggested the villain would be Rachel Reeves, 'the Chancellor of the Exchequer who is doing everything possible to undermine business – 276,000 people having lost work since the autumn statement'. He asked: 'When will the ministers, the heroes of this story, fight against the Chancellor who's getting so much so wrong?' Mr Thomas said: 'It's a little while since I've been called a hero by (Mr Stuart) but I'm glad that I've finally had some recognition from him in that regard. 'I don't think the Chancellor of the Exchequer is a villain at all. 'Indeed, I think the spending review that she announced yesterday will help to unlock investment in our high streets and in our small businesses up and down the country – the record investment in research and development, the record investment in infrastructure, and the additional capacity to the British Business Bank will help to unlock billions of pounds of new investment and many more job opportunities across the country.' Labour former minister Liam Byrne later called for 'a plan to cut industrial energy costs now'. The Commons Business and Trade Committee chairman said: 'As our committee pointed out on Friday, the success of the industrial strategy will depend on a plan to cut industrial energy costs now. 'When the industrial strategy is published, will the Secretary of State reassure us that there will be a plan to ensure that UK energy prices are internationally competitive?' Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds replied: 'The very significant increase in industrial energy prices under the terms of the last government are a significant issue for our competitiveness, and yes, that is something we're seeking to address.'

Queen's Club Championships: Updates with Boulter, Watson and Raducanu in action
Queen's Club Championships: Updates with Boulter, Watson and Raducanu in action

Telegraph

time36 minutes ago

  • Telegraph

Queen's Club Championships: Updates with Boulter, Watson and Raducanu in action

Today's schedule [5] Diana Shnaider vs Katie Boulter [Q] Heather Watson vs [4] Elena Rybakina Emma Raducanu vs Rebecca Sramkova Latest updates Uche Amako (Live Updates) 12 June 2025 11:52am 11:33AM Day four at Queen's Hello and welcome to coverage of a busy day at Queens as three Britons bid to reach the quarter-finals. On the WTA's return to west Kensington for the first time since 1973, the crowd on Andy Murray Arena will be treated matches involving Katie Boulter, Heather Watson and Emma Raducanu. Boulter, the British No 1, starts against fifth seed Diana Shnaider, having sealed her place in the second round thanks to a battling second round victory over Australian qualifier Ajla Tomljanovic. 'When I walked out it actually surpassed what I thought it would feel like when I kind of imagined it,' said Boulter, adding: 'I think it's very easy to get caught up in just trying to get your first grass court match, also coming to such an historic venue as well, which holds a lot of purpose and a lot of familiar feelings when I've come here before.' Watson follows Boulter and faces the daunting task of former Wimbledon Elena Rybakina. 'Very happy to be through here at Queen's,' Watson said. 'It's such a great event so far and I'm really enjoying playing here, playing on these courts at this amazing club, and staying at home, sleeping in my own bed.' And the third Briton in action is Raducanu, who plays Slovakia's Rebecca Sramkova after she beat reigning Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova, 6-4, 6-3. Raducanu said: 'I play my best when my personality is put on the court and I can express myself, and I feel like sometimes when I've been constrained to play a certain way, it hasn't necessarily worked, and I just need to be free and expressive and then certain moments of creativity can come up. 'I mean, it's easier said than done to be yourself, especially when you're on such a big stage, but for sure when I'm playing freely, when I'm swinging and taking on chances, that is when I'm at my best. Yeah, then I think as that happened today, I could kind of relax into it and more and more could come up.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store