The world is competitive, and it only takes a moment to lose yourself in the fast pace of business. Alexis Ohanian, husband of the WTA legend Serena Williams, believes he learned a vital lesson early on before his career truly took off. As the co-founder of Reddit and founder of the venture capital firm Seven Seven Six, his journey was anything but smooth. Despite his success, he still yearns for a certain satisfaction.

Ohanian began creating Reddit in 2005, shortly after graduating from the University of Virginia. He and his partner, Steve Huffman, sold the company to Condé Nast in 2006. By 2007, he launched BreadPig, a company focused on geek-oriented merchandise. At just 23 years old, he found himself wealthy. However, during this time, his mother, Anke, was diagnosed with glioblastoma, an untreatable brain tumor.

On November 8th, Ohanian joined Jemele Hill on her podcast to discuss how sports impact personal lives. He shared that losing his mother in 2008 profoundly changed how he views wealth. But more than that, he wishes he could share his achievements with her. “There are so many times I wish I could call her or I wish she could be there to see,” he said. By the time Ohanian hit it big with his businesses, Anke had passed away. After two years away from Reddit, he returned and successfully revitalized the platform in 2010.

He later founded Seven Seven Six and then went on to work alongside women’s sports through Angel City FC. This year he debuted the women’s-only track event, ATHLOS. Which aims to highlight women athletes’ stories and create a vibrant fan experience. Today, with a net worth estimated at $150 million, Ohanian reflects on the lessons from his mother. She gave him “the best gift,” teaching him that materialistic pleasures mean little. “You know very quickly what matters in life when you get to see someone… deciding how they’re going to be spending their final years. It’s never about stuff. It is about people; it is about experiences with those people,” he noted.

Ohanian believes his experience helped him avoid the turmoil many peers face when they come into money. It grounded him and provided perspective on life. For this, he is eternally grateful to his mother. Yet, he still wishes he could share personal updates with Anke. Now happily married to the WTA star Serena Williams and a father of two daughters, he considers them a blessing in disguise.

Alexis is always open to sharing the joys he gets from being a “girl dad”

During a recent conversation with filmmaker Ken Burns, Ohanian reflected on fatherhood. “See, I’ve got two myself. I figured I was destined to have girls, and there’s a part of me that just knew—and it’s awesome to be a girl dad,” he said. His words reveal not only his love for being a father but also his progressive mindset. Ohanian frequently shares glimpses of how his daughters influence his life.

For instance, he humorously posted a screenshot of his Spotify playlist filled with Taylor Swift songs, captioning it, “I clearly have daughters.” He solidified his Swiftie status by attending Taylor Swift’s Miami Eras Tour with Olympia, proudly wearing a t-shirt that read, “I love Taylor (my daughter made me wear this).”

His love for his daughters truly shines through. On November 7th, the US Weekly released an article that mentioned, “Alexis is such a hands-on dad and so caring and supportive. He’s loving being surrounded by women and takes the role of girl dad very seriously.” And this sentiment captures Ohanian’s joy in embracing his unique family dynamic.

Ohanian’s dedication to his daughters goes beyond conventional parenting. He fully invests in nurturing and celebrating the bond he shares with them. Perhaps he finds solace in raising his girls the way his mother would have loved to see. With each moment spent with Serena, Olympia, and Adira, Ohanian exemplifies what it means to be an engaged father, proving that family is at the heart of everything he does.