The daughter of tennis superstar Serena Williams and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian became the youngest team owner in professional sports.
According to Business Insider, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr., age 2, is now a part-owner in the National Women’s Soccer League’s new expansion team based in Los Angeles.
“The growth trajectory of the NWSL is incredibly exciting, but we also need to be strategic and thoughtful about how fast we expand and the communities we partner with,” NWSL Commissioner Lisa Baird said in a press release. “We’ve long sought the right partner in LA considering the NWSL fanbase that already exists in the region and the massive interest in women’s soccer in general. Those factors, along with an incredible ownership group make this an ideal situation and we couldn’t be more thrilled to move forward.”
Ohanian Jr. joins several other high profile owners, including Jessica Chastain, America Ferrera, Uzo Aduba, Eva Longoria, Netflix vice president of original content Cindy Holland, and more.
“As someone who spends hours kicking around a football with my 2-year-old daughter, I want her to have a front row seat to this revolution,” Ohanian Jr’s father, Alexis said in the NWSL’s press release. “I’m personally investing on behalf of my family because creating more opportunities in women’s sports is important to my wife and me, and we want to be a part of making a better future for our daughter.”
The NWSL was founded by award-winning actress, Natalie Portman.
“Today we take an exciting step by announcing the first women majority-owned and led ownership group,” Portman said. “I am thrilled by the opportunity to partner with this incredible group of people to bring a professional women’s soccer team to Los Angeles. Together, we aim to build not only a winning team on the field, but also to develop a passionately loyal fan base. We also hope to make a substantive impact on our community, committing to extending access to sports for young people in Los Angeles through our relationship with the LA84 Foundation. Sports are such a joyful way to bring people together, and this has the power to make tangible change for female athletes both in our community and in the professional sphere.”
