"I turned out OK" - Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian extends support to Harvard student after controversial comments

Serena Williams' husband, Alexis Ohanian, supported a Harvard student with his own career story as the latter received backlash for being selected at the university after going test-optional and waiting at IHOP. Ohanian worked at Pizza Hut during his struggling days before becoming a global phenomenon in the entrepreneurial realm.

Serena Williams' husband, Alexis Ohanian, who started by making free websites for non-profit organizations, first pitched a food ordering app, MyMobileMenu, to the Y Combinator in 2005. He and his college roommate, Steve Huffman, later founded the online bulletin board 'Reddit,' which was valued between $10 million and $20 million when Conde Nast acquired it.

Though Ohanian stepped down from the board of directors in 2020, he continued his other business ventures, especially investing in start-ups and supporting women's sports. Now valued at $150 million, Ohanian reacted to X users slamming a student for getting into Harvard despite going 'test optional' and working as a waitress.

A fan shared details of students who scored enough but were rejected by the university, calling it an 'embarrassment.'

Serena Williams' husband, displeased by the reactions, shared how his time at Pizza Hut shaped his career moving forward.

Ohanian introduced the women-only track event, Athlos NYC, with his venture capital firm, Seven Seven Six, and will soon host the second edition.

Serena Williams' husband, Alexis Ohanian, joined the investor board of Chelsea FC Women

Serena Williams' husband, Alexis Ohanian, largely invested in the new franchise of the National Women's Soccer League, Angel City FC, now the most-valued team in the NWSL. He recently acquired a position on the board of Chelsea FC Women, paying 26.5 million dollars for it. After joining the team that lifted its fifth WSL trophy in 2025, Ohanian shared the news on his X handle, writing:

When not busy with entrepreneurial duties, the 42-year-old spends time with his family, often making pancakes and steak for his daughters, Olympia and Adira.

About the author

Agnijeeta is a US Olympics journalist at Sportskeeda. She holds a Master’s degree in English and has worked as a school teacher, a blogger, a content writer and a sports writer over the past 5 years. A lover of high-adrenaline track and field events, she was also a sprinter during her school days.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone happens to be her favorite Olympian, and the athlete’s feat of breaking four records within 13 months inspires her, apart from the American's body language on and off the track. Grant Hackett swimming with a partially dysfunctional lung and winning gold in Athens is her all-time favorite Olympic moment.

Agnijeeta believes that deriving of unique angles from podcasts and interviews carried out by Olympics.com, along with hype-building of potential Olympic events on social media can help fill the coverage gap during the off season.

When not at her work desk, Agnijeeta likes to sing and paint. She also plays string instruments like guitar and ukulele and is an avid player of word puzzles.

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