Alexis Ohanian has left Reddit's board in a 'long overdue' move. Here's how he launched Reddit into a $3 billion behemoth and became an outspoken activist in the tech world.

Alexis Ohanian, who cofounded Reddit in 2005, has been called the "Mayor of the Internet."He and cofounder Steve Huffman built the company over 16 months, then sold it to Condé Nast in 2006 for somewhere between $10 and $20 million. Today, the company is worth $3 billion. Since then, Ohanian has become a venture capitalist, has helped launch two more companies, and has fought against a bill that would have stifled internet innovation. In 2015, he met tennis superstar Serena Williams. The couple had a daughter together, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr., in 2017, and got married two months later. More recently, in the wake of the protests following George Floyd's death, Ohanian resigned from Reddit's board and called on the company to name a Black board member in his place, which it has since done, appointing Michael Seibel. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Alexis Ohanian's path to becoming the "Mayor of the Internet" wasn't a conventional one. 

The Baltimore, Maryland-raised Ohanian initially thought he wanted to become a lawyer before an epiphany at a Waffle House made him realize he'd rather be an entrepreneur. He and his college best friend, Steve Huffman, went on to create Reddit, the online community site known as "the front page of the internet." Today, the company is worth $3 billion.

Since selling Reddit in 2006, Ohanian has gone on to invest in startups through his venture capital firm, fight against federal bills that would have stifled internet innovation, and marry tennis superstar Serena Williams. 

Here's how Ohanian got his start and helped build one of the cornerstones of the internet. 

Original author: Avery Hartmans