Alexis Ohanian has been in the news a lot recently, partly thanks to his romance with tennis champ Serena Williams. The couple got engaged in December 2016 and are expecting their first child later this year.
Here are five things to know about the 34-year-old entrepreneur.
1. He cofounded Reddit.
After graduating from the University of Virginia in 2005, Ohanian and his roommate Steve Huffman cofounded Reddit, the social news aggregation and discussion board, which has since grown to become one of the most popular websites on the internet. After selling Reddit to Condé Nast Publications in 2006, Ohanian and Huffman returned as the executive chairman and CEO, respectively. Ohanian now serves full-time as cofounder at Reddit.
2. He’s an author.
In October 2013, Ohanian published a book titled Without Their Permission: How the 21st Century Will Be Made, Not Managed. In the bestseller, Ohanian shares ideas and tips for young entrepreneurs on “harnessing the power of the web for good,” according to the book’s website.
3. He hosts a web series.
The Brooklyn native created and hosts Small Empires, a weekly show that airs on The Verge‘s website and focuses on rising startups in New York City. The show’s third and most recent season aired last year.
4. He wasn’t a tennis fan until he met Williams.
Us Weekly exclusively revealed in October 2015 that Ohanian and Williams, now 35, were dating, shortly after she was linked to rapper Drake. A source told Us at the time that Ohanian had “never been into tennis until they started dating.” Since then, he’s become quite the fan and often attends Williams’ tournaments and Wimbledon matches.
5. He’s ready for fatherhood.
The four-time Olympic gold medalist announced her pregnancy on April 19 and debuted her baby bump on the red carpet at the 2017 Met Gala a few weeks later. At the star-studded event on May 1, the couple opened up about the pending arrival of their first bundle of joy during an interview with Vogue‘s André Leon Talley. “I’m really good,” Ohanian gushed. He also raved about his fiancé, telling Humans of New York, “She has the biggest heart. Everyone sees her success as an athlete, but all of that is layered on the size of her heart. She gives 100% of herself to everything she does: as a friend, as a lover, and soon, as a mother.”
