How sports-tech power couple Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian make and spend their millions
Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian, a dynamic duo in the worlds of sports and technology, have built a life of wealth, influence, and philanthropy. Williams, widely regarded as one of the greatest tennis players of all time, has an estimated net worth of $340 million, primarily earned through her illustrious tennis career and lucrative endorsement deals. Her career has seen her earn over $94 million in prize money, making her the highest-paid female athlete in tennis history. Additionally, she has ventured into fashion, launching a clothing line with HSN in 2015, and more recently, a beauty brand called Wyn Beauty in 2024. Williams has also made significant investments through Serena Ventures, focusing on underrepresented founders, particularly women, and has invested in companies like MasterClass, Tonal, Impossible Foods, and Noom. Her portfolio includes over 85 companies, with 14 of them being unicorns—privately owned companies valued at over $1 billion. Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of Reddit, became a multimillionaire at age 23 when he sold the platform to Condé Nast for $10 million. The deal made him wealthier than his parents combined, and he has since founded several other ventures, including the travel search site Hipmunk, the startup accelerator Y Combinator, and the social enterprise Breadpig. In 2020, he launched a new venture capital firm called Seven Seven Six, which has invested in women's track and Colin Kaepernick's AI company. Ohanian has also been a vocal advocate for digital privacy and has donated to organizations aiming to diversify tech companies' talent pools. Williams and Ohanian met in May 2015 at the Cavalieri Hotel in Rome and began dating a month later in Paris. Their relationship blossomed, and Ohanian proposed to Williams at the same hotel in December 2016. They married in 2017 in an opulent wedding in New Orleans, where Williams wore a princess gown by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen and $3.5 million worth of XIV Karats jewelry, while Ohanian donned a suit by Armani. The couple has two children, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr. (born in September 2017) and Adira River Ohanian (born in August 2023). Olympia, like her mother, has shown an early interest in fashion, becoming the youngest person to grace the cover of Vogue at just three months old. The couple's combined net worth is estimated at $410 million, which they have used to invest in various properties and enjoy a globe-trotting lifestyle. They once lived in a $6.7 million home in Beverly Hills, California, but have since listed it for sale. Their primary residence is now in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, a stunning property that includes an art gallery and a trophy room. They also own homes in Paris and Bel Air. Williams, known for her love of luxury cars, has been a brand ambassador for Lincoln since 2018 and was previously photographed with a $300,000 Aston Martin Vanquish. Both Williams and Ohanian have a history of investing in sports teams. In 2009, Williams and her sister Venus became partial owners of the Miami Dolphins, making them the first Black women to own a stake in an NFL team. In 2022, they purchased a piece of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) team Angel City FC, with a portion of the investment in Olympia's name, making her the youngest owner of a professional sports team at age two. In March 2025, Williams was announced as an owner of the WNBA expansion team, the Toronto Tempo, further solidifying her commitment to women's sports. Ohanian's first significant purchase after selling Reddit was field-level season tickets to the Washington Commanders for himself and his father, upgrading from the "nosebleed" seats his father had previously enjoyed. Despite their lavish lifestyle, the couple is also deeply philanthropic. Williams has been a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador since 2011, focusing on initiatives in Ghana, such as distributing anti-malarial nets and promoting vaccinations. She has also supported Colin Kaepernick's activism, expressing pride in his 2018 Nike ad campaign. Ohanian has been vocal about health issues, revealing in November 2024 that he had part of his thyroid removed due to potentially cancerous nodules. He has also been diagnosed with Lyme disease. He encourages men, especially fathers, to prioritize regular health checkups. Williams, who retired from tennis in 2022, has spoken candidly about the challenges of balancing her career with family life. In an essay for Vogue, she wrote, "If I were a guy, I wouldn't be writing this because I'd be out there playing and winning while my wife was doing the physical labor of expanding our family." Despite her immense wealth, Williams has always maintained that money was never her primary motivator. In a 2018 interview with the personal-finance video series "Kneading Dough," she revealed, "I've actually never played for money—I just thought you would go out there and hold a trophy." She even shared a humorous anecdote about her first million-dollar check, which she tried to deposit through a bank drive-thru before being told to come inside for such a large transaction. Together, Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian have not only achieved personal and professional success but have also used their influence and resources to make a positive impact in various sectors, from sports and technology to fashion and philanthropy. Their journey from meeting in 2015 to their current status as a family with two daughters reflects a commitment to both their individual passions and their shared goals.
