Alexis Ohanian is truly the blueprint for a modern family man. Whether he’s whisking his daughters off to Disney World or showering his wife, Serena Williams, with admiration, Ohanian is the picture of devotion. But there’s another side to this “Business Dad”—one that speaks volumes about his heart and priorities. Apart from being a doting father and husband, Ohanian has always been a devoted son. In a heartfelt reflection, he opened up about the deeply personal reason behind his decision to sell Reddit—a move that wasn’t just about business but also about securing financial stability for his beloved mother.

The 41-year-old took to his Instagram on November 4, Wednesday, and shared a video of himself explaining how selling Reddit gave him a surreal and grounding experience. Ohanian highlighted that his top priority was not just making money at the time, but also ensuring financial stability for his mother, Anke Ohanian, who was diagnosed with cancer.

Speaking about the same, Ohanian said, “When I sold @reddit in 2006, I made more money in 16 months than my parents had made over their entire lives. It happened at a time when my mom had already been diagnosed with cancer and was beginning chemo, so I was in a headspace where my top priority wasn’t the cash itself… but more so the financial stability it provided to help her get the best treatment possible.” For the unversed, Ohanian co-founded Reddit after he graduated from college in 2005 with Steve Huffman and Aaron Swartz. And in less than two years, the trio managed to increase the brand value of the social platform. 

Reddit was sold to Conde Nast for a whopping $10 Million, which Ohanian says is more than the fortune his parents earned in their entire lives. And Ohanian acknowledges this earning as the most grounding experience of his life. “It taught me about the importance of having the right people in your life that can help keep you grounded and emphasizing experiences with those people above everything else. It was a very surreal feeling at the time, but I believe that grounding was one of the best gifts she ever gave me,” he said further in the video.

Remember, Ohanian’s father, Chris Ohanian, owned a small business being the founder of Infinity Global Travel in Taneytown, Maryland, which he started in 1998. His mother Anke Ohanian, was a pharmacy technician. However, she was diagnosed with an incurable brain tumor in 2005 and later passed away in 2008 at the age of 54 in her Columbia, Maryland home. This, however, is not the first time when Ohanian has highlighted such sentiments. 

Taking to his X in 2020, Ohanian shared how bagging $10 Million by selling Reddit was an attempt to pay an ode to his mother. “She was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer just a couple months into founding the company, so the idea of rewarding her life-long unflagging confidence in me with a $10 [million] exit was tremendously appealing,” he wrote.  But despite selling off Reddit, Ohanian’s role did not just end with the company. 

Serena Williams’ husband stayed on with the company for three years and eventually returned as executive chairman after Yishan Wong resigned as the CEO in 2014. Coming back to his love for his mother, Ohanian has often highlighted the importance she had in his life. 

When Alexis Ohanian shared a heartfelt tribute to his mother

Alexis Ohanian has continued to prove that his love for his family is beyond everything. Despite being an ardent business mogul, Ohanian has reflected on how important is his family to him. And this love was also witnessed for his mother when Ohanian opened up about the void her mother’s absence created in his life. 

Speaking in an interview with Jemele Hill in November this year, the Reddit co-founder said, “For all the milestones I’ve had since obviously coming back to Reddit, turning it around, IPO, and then just professionally as an investor and building 776. There are so many times I wish I could call her or I wish she could be there to see that debut of Athlos. Then there’s the personal stuff, which obviously I wish even more she could have been a part of.”

Now, it would be interesting to see if Ohanian would share more details about his bond with his mother in the times to come. But his actions remind us all of the importance of putting family first.