Chelsea Women have received a significant boost through a £20 million investment from Alexis Ohanian, American tech entrepreneur and Reddit co-founder. Ohanian has acquired a 10 per cent stake in the club, making Chelsea Women the most valuable team in women’s football with an estimated worth of £200 million. He will also join the club’s board, with his wife, tennis legend Serena Williams, expected to be involved as well.
Announcing the move on 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.” He ended the post with, “Up the Chels!”
Alexis Ohanian and Serena Williams are expected to attend the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, May 17, where Chelsea Women will take on Manchester United. The match presents a chance for Chelsea to complete a domestic treble, having already secured the League Cup and a sixth straight Women’s Super League title.
The investment underscores Ohanian’s expanding commitment to women’s sports. He was previously the majority shareholder in Angel City FC, which set a record as the world’s most expensive women’s football club with a £190 million sale. He also founded Athlos NYC, a women-only track and field competition offering significant prize money to promote gender equality in athletics.
Chelsea Women were recently sold to a sister company for £200 million, a strategic move aimed at avoiding breaches of football’s Profit and Sustainability Rules. While the Premier League has not yet ruled on the valuation’s fairness, Ohanian’s high-profile investment is expected to strengthen the club’s standing.
As part of its ongoing transformation, Chelsea also appointed Aki Mandhar as the club’s first-ever chief executive officer, signalling a new phase of growth. Despite a 9 per cent drop in average Women’s Super League attendances this season, Chelsea and its new investors remain confident in the game’s potential—especially with this summer’s European Championships anticipated to spark renewed interest.
