There’s something very admirable about business executives who are willing to give up the things they worked hard to help make the world a better place.
Thus, it isn’t surprising that Reddit co-founder and executive chairman Alexis Ohanian received tons of praise for his decision to leave the company he built and the statement he left in the wake of his departure.
Tough Call
In a recent in-depth interview with his tennis star wife Serena Williams, the 37-year-old Internet entrepreneur revealed more details about his bold choice.
He admitted that leaving wasn’t an easy call to make for him. However, he also emphasized it had to be made after he reflected on the current state of the United States at the moment.
In the end, he deemed the decision as the most effective way he can help to move things forward beyond donating or posting a statement of support on social media. Ohanian then told his wife about how important it is that businesses have diversity in its higher levels.
The businessman also promised to donate future gains from his shares on Reddit to aid the black community of which Williams is a part of. He began with a $1 million pledge to the Know Your Rights Camp.
For Olympia
Another factor that pushed Ohanian to step down is his and Williams’ two-year-old daughter, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr. As he revealed, he wanted to be able to answer Olympia’s questions someday ‘with the clearest conscience’ when they talk about how he helped in fighting racial injustice.
He then told Williams that he felt like he owed the decision to both her and their daughter. Ohanian also spoke about how he realized that they would one day have to have a talk with Olympia about how much harder she’ll have to work compared to others because of her race.
Taking a Stand
Ohanian’s recent donation would particularly help in providing legal defense for the protestors arrested in the wake of George Floyd’s death while in police custody. The Know Your Rights Camp was initially begun by NFL quarterback turned civil rights activist Colin Kaepernick.
Numerous other celebrities and public figures have expressed their support for the Black Lives Matter movement and the victims of the recent cases of racially charged police brutality. Protests have reportedly reached all 50 American states and other countries despite the dangers posed by the coronavirus.