We all know Serena Williams – she’s a tennis powerhouse and fashion-forward role model all at once! But who is Serena Williams’ husband? That tall, bearded man looking lovingly at Serena is all her pictures is Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of Reddit and father to their daughter Olympia Ohanian. Let’s dive into what makes Alexis such a perfect family man!
Alexis & Serena: A Love Story
How did they meet?
Serena and Alexis met at the Cavalieri Hotel in Rome, during May 2015. It was definitely not love at first sight. Serena was annoyed that this random man had chosen to sit at a table so close to her and her friends. “This big guy comes and he just plops down at the table next to us, and I’m like, ‘Huh! All these tables and he’s sitting here?,’ ” Serena told Vanity Fair. Serena’s friends tried to get Alexis to move by pretending that there was a rat sniffing around the tables, but this didn’t perturb Alexis one bit. He’s from New York, what would bother him about one rat? When Alexis didn’t move, he and Serena got to chatting and the tennis star invited Alexis to Paris to watch her play tennis. So, as you do, Alexis flew to Paris for the weekend! Did they know they would be a married couple in three years time? There’s no way of knowing, but looking back there was certainly killer chemistry between the couple.
Pictured: Serena and Alexis celebrating Selexis Day.
Every year the couple picks a day that works for both of their schedules and dubs it Selexis Day, a day that is all about them and their love for each other. They take turns planing what the day will involve – previously Serena Williams’ had her husband embark on scavenger hunt, and at the end was a venue filled karaoke, and all his childhood friends!
How Serena and Alexis Became Parents?
Okay, we don’t need a birds-and-the-bees talk, we know the mechanics of it, but how did Serena and Alexis find out she was pregnant? Serena had been training for the upcoming Australian Open – but she had been feeling quite unwell. At one point she nearly vomited during practice, and felt very hormonal. Her best friend Jess pestered her to take a pregnancy test, and Serena finally gave in despite not believing there was a chance she could be expecting. “I’ll take it [the pregnancy test] just because (a) to prove you wrong and (b) because it’s fun, whatever. It’s like a joke. Why not?” Serena told Vogue. She took the test and promptly forgot about it. Nearly two hours later, she rushed back into the bathroom to see her results – and low and beyond, the test told her she was pregnant! While Serena was pregnant, Alexis started his own ‘Swear Jar’ and would drop change into it every time he cursed so that he’d wouldn’t accidentally drop any F-bombs in front of his future child! Serena gave birth to a beautiful girl which her and Alexis named Olympia. She even has her own Instagram account – @olympiaohanian
Their ‘Beauty & The Beast’ Themed Wedding
Pictured: Alexis surprises Serena with a carousel at their wedding
Serena and Alexis wanted their New Orleans wedding to have a royal ball theme, and being big fans of Disney, they ended up theming their special day around Beauty and the Beast. Serena and their wedding planner Jennifer organised the event down to the last place card, but Alexis was still able to surprise his new wife. At around 1:30 am, he revealed that he’d arranged for a classic carousel to be brought to the venue so that Serena could truly feel like a fairytale princess. Now that’s when you know you’ve married Mr. Right!
How Much Do You Know About Alexis Ohanian?
Pictured: The pair strut their stuff at the 2019 Met Gala and enjoy a night off from parenthood.
What is Alexis Ohanian’s Net Worth?
This is a man that knows how to make money. Last year, Alexis was reportedly worth $9 million. When he founded Reddit in 2005, Alexis was furnishing his office space with desks and chairs he found on the streets of San Fransisco. By the time he sold his creation two years later, it was worth $10 million. We also know he’s married to Serena, who is worth a whopping $150 million when you take into account her prizes and sponsorships.
Alexis’ Personal Life
Pictured: Alexis and his mother Anké during the 1980s.
Alexis was born in Brooklyn, New York on 24 April 1983 (making him age 36 this year). His parents are Anké and Chris Ohanian. Like the Kardashian clan, Alexis has Armenian heritage. His great-grandparents came to American after fleeing the genocide in their home country. While his partner Serena and their daughter are Jehovah’s Witnesses (Serena and Venus Williams were raised in the faith), Alexis Ohanian is not a member of the religion. However, he does support their baby being raised a member of the church. Both parents faced criticism for not throwing a 1st birthday party for Olympia. This is because Jehovah’s Witnesses do not celebrate birthdays. Alexis had this to say to those who felt they could weigh in on the way Olympia was parented:
“I’m not a Witness, but I considered how made up it all is: the purpose of celebrating a birthday is to celebrate life with the people who love you (and to eat cake). This baby is loved and will get to celebrate life with people who love her *plenty* of times, with plenty of parties (and eat cake – in moderation) throughout her life.”
Pictured: The Instagram post that caused controversy.
Alexis originally planned on being a lawyer. He was in his junior year at the University of Virginia and was halfway through taking the infamous LSAT (the law school admissions test) when he walked out. Realising he had no desire to be a lawyer, Alexis went to the Waffle House on Route 29 in Charlottesville to have waffles instead! What Alexis was much better suited for was programming and building websites. real love was programming and building Web sites. He and his friend Steve Huffman, an engineering major, teamed up to create a website that they called “the front page of the Internet.” This is where users would discuss topics that interest them, vote things they liked up and things they didn’t down – and thus Reddit was born! They sold Reddit in 2006, but eventually returned as executive chairman and chief executive officer.
Pictured: Olympia politely claps for the players whilst watching a tennis match with her father.
When 16 year old Rayouf Alhumedhi started to campaign for an emoji wearing a hijab to be added to Apple’s collection, Alexis Ohanian backed the young activist, giving her a platform on Reddit to discuss her motivation. Alexis is also a published author (is there anything this man can’t do?) ‘Without Their Permission’ was a bestseller, and Alexis spent five months non-stop touring and giving talks at over 175 universities as part of his book tour.
We don’t know what Alexis’ next big move will be, but we know we will definitely be hearing about his work and innovative ideas for years to come. In the meantime, please enjoy this incredible picture of Alexis and Serena at the Met Gala afterparty – could they get any cuter?
