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AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND – JANUARY 12: Alexis Olympia, daughter of Serena Williams and husband Alexis Ohanian look on during final match between Serena Williams of USA and Jessica Pegula of USA at ASB Tennis Centre on January 12, 2020 in Auckland, New Zealand. (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)
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AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND – JANUARY 12: Alexis Olympia, daughter of Serena Williams and husband Alexis Ohanian look on during final match between Serena Williams of USA and Jessica Pegula of USA at ASB Tennis Centre on January 12, 2020 in Auckland, New Zealand. (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)
Alexis Ohanian, Serena Williams’ husband, treated his daughter Olympia to Waffle House, an American restaurant chain, to show her the place that inspired him to start Reddit. Ohanian revealed the significance of the restaurant in his life trajectory, which was a historic moment for him.
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The cofounder of Reddit, being one of the most prominent names in business, always has a busy schedule. However, that doesn’t stop him from spending quality time with his daughter.
Ohanian reminisces about his entrepreneurial journey
Alexis Ohanian reflected the impact the Waffle House had on his professional journey on Twitter. He reminded his followers that without a lucky break, he might have become a lawyer rather than the well-known creator of the popular social media platform.
He tweeted a video of himself saying, “If you’ve been following me for a while, you know just how important this restaurant is. This is where it all started…”
— AlexisOhanian7️⃣7️⃣6️⃣ (@alexisohanian) August 19, 2022
Alexis Ohanian gave credit to the Waffle House for inspiring him to start Reddit rather than become a lawyer. Accompanying him in this journey was his four-year-old daughter, Olympia Ohanian Jr. In August 2021, Reddit was estimated to be worth over $10 billion.
Additionally, the cofounder of Reddit talked about Waffle House in his LinkedIn post, revealing his internet-changing discovery. He said that he came up with this idea at a restaurant chain, Waffle House, on Route 29 close to the University of Virginia campus.
How did the Waffle House inspire Serena Williams’ husband to start Reddit?
In an interview with The New York Times, Ohanian stated that he had initially intended to become an immigration lawyer. “I had this romantic idea of helping people get citizenship,” he said. “But then I realized how much I hated what I was doing, so I went and got a waffle instead. It was at a Waffle House I realized I wanted to start something.“
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NEW YORK, NY – MAY 06: Co-Founder and Executive Chair of Reddit, and Partner at Y Combinator, Alexis Ohanian speaks onstage during TechCrunch Disrupt NY 2015 – Day 3 at The Manhattan Center on May 6, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images for TechCrunch)
In 2020, Ohanian resigned from Reddit’s board of directors. Also, he requested the board to select an African-American candidate as his replacement. Ohanian pledged future gains of his Reddit stock to serve the African-American community, beginning with a $1 million pledge to Colin Kaepernick’s Know Your Rights Camp.
Watch this story: Richest tennis players in the world revealed and it’s not Roger Federer, Serena Williams or Rafael Nadal
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His wife, Serena Williams, appreciated Alexis Ohanian’s decision. She posted on Twitter that she was proud of her husband’s decision. “Having diverse views on any boards is important. So proud of you, Alexis. I know Olympia will be too.“
What do you think about Ohanian’s growth over the years? Let us know in the comments.
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