Chelsea Women have secured a major investment from Alexis Ohanian, the American tech entrepreneur and co-founder of Reddit, who has purchased a 10 per cent stake in the club reportedly worth £20 million. The deal makes Chelsea Women the most valuable club in the women’s game at an estimated £200 million and positions Ohanian as a new board member, with his wife, tennis icon Serena Williams, also expected to be involved.
Announcing the investment on social media platform X, Ohanian wrote, “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.” In a nod to his new club, he added, “Up the Chels!”
Ohanian and Williams are expected to attend the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, May 17, where Chelsea will face Manchester United in pursuit of a domestic treble, having already secured the League Cup and a sixth consecutive Women’s Super League title.
The deal reflects Ohanian’s growing portfolio in women’s sports. He was previously a majority shareholder in Angel City FC, which became the most expensive women’s football team in the world with a sale price of £190 million. He also founded Athlos NYC, a women-only track and field event, with significant prize money to promote gender parity in athletics.
Chelsea Women were sold to a sister company for £200 million in a move designed to avoid a violation of football’s Profit and Sustainability Rules. The Premier League has yet to confirm the fairness of that valuation, but Ohanian’s high-profile investment is likely to strengthen Chelsea’s position.
In a further step in the club’s development, Chelsea recently appointed Aki Mandhar as their first-ever chief executive officer as part of a broader repositioning strategy. Despite a 9 per cent decline in average WSL attendances this year, Chelsea and their new investors believe the women’s game is on the cusp of significant growth, especially with this summer’s European Championships expected to drive renewed interest.
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