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AUSTIN, TEXAS – MARCH 13: Alexis Ohanian Sr. attends the “Featured Session: Empowering the Next Generation to Build a Better Future” during the 2023 SXSW Conference and Festivals at Hilton Austin on March 13, 2023 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Amy E. Price/Getty Images for SXSW)
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AUSTIN, TEXAS – MARCH 13: Alexis Ohanian Sr. attends the “Featured Session: Empowering the Next Generation to Build a Better Future” during the 2023 SXSW Conference and Festivals at Hilton Austin on March 13, 2023 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Amy E. Price/Getty Images for SXSW)
Serena Williams‘ husband Alexis Ohanian, along with Steve Huffman, founded Reddit in 2005. Fast forward to 2023, and Reddit is the US’ 6th most-visited website and the 10th most-visited globally. Its net worth is around $10 billion. You would think these mind-boggling numbers would be enough to make Ohanian proud of Reddit. However, the entrepreneur and investor’s latest tweet proves otherwise.
Serena Williams’ husband’s journey from the fringe to the mainstream
When Ohanian launched Reddit, he had only just graduated with history and commerce degrees from the University of Virginia. At the time, his goal was all about making Reddit the internet’s front page.
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Since creating @Reddit in 2005, some part of me always hoped it'd get big enough to make it into the mainstream, like in a Simpsons episode… well… it happened. D'Oh! pic.twitter.com/ysZy3c4OWR
— AlexisOhanian7️⃣7️⃣6️⃣ (@alexisohanian) April 7, 2023
In his tweet, Ohanian said, “Since creating Reddit in 2005, some part of me always hoped it’d get big enough to make it into the mainstream”. He followed it up by referencing a Simpsons episode where Marge interacts with Homer after 27 years.
In the episode titled “Not It”, Marge asks Homer, “How’ve you been?”, to which Homer replies, “So good! I practically live on Reddit.” Ohanian tweeted that his journey as Reddit co-founder has been “like in a Simpsons episode… well… it happened. D’Oh!”
Alexis Ohanian’s Reddit rollercoaster ride
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In June 2005, Ohanian and Huffman launched Reddit. Initially, the website lacked users, which prompted the founders to leverage a ‘fake it till you make it’ strategy. The following year, Ohanian and Huffman decided to sell Reddit. Conde Nast Publications bought the website for $10 – $20 million approximately. Both co-founders continued working in the company until 2009.
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PARIS, FRANCE June 4. Alexis Ohanian, husband of Serena Williams of the United States reacts in the stands during her match against Danielle Collins of the United States on Court Philippe-Chatrier during the third round of the singles competition at the 2021 French Open Tennis Tournament at Roland Garros on June. 4th 2021 in Paris, France. (Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images)
In November 2014, Ohanian returned to Reddit and assumed the position of Executive Chairman. Furthermore, co-founder Huffman also returned a few months later and became Reddit’s chief executive. However, in 2020, in the wake of the George Floyd protests, Serena Williams’ husband decided to resign and requested a black candidate to replace him.
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Today, Reddit is worth a whopping $10 billion. For founders of most companies to achieve this kind of valuation, it would be enough to make them proud. However, Ohanian is different, and his humorous Simpsons reference is proof of the fact that his pride goes beyond any monetary valuation.
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