Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian fondly recalls his 'Fight Club'-like experience of being recognized in public
Serena Williams's husband and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian recently posted a heartwarming and humorous memory about his early days of fame. Ohanian had a memorable moment in New York City, in which a quick lunch became a moment of kindness. Reflecting on that moment during a recent exchange, Ohanian laughed about his shock when a busser at a Mexican restaurant paid his bill after identifying him as the "Reddit guy."
Ohanian took to X (previously Twitter) to post this tale as part of a fan interaction on April 1, 2025. He told the story of when he requested the check at a Mexican restaurant in New York and was told that it had already been paid for by the busser. When the server told him that the busser had greeted him as the "Reddit guy," Ohanian was left both moved and slightly entertained by the kindness of a stranger.
"Okay, this is a funny one. I really don't remember the first time I was recognized in public. I do remember probably one of the first times I was recognized in public and benefited from it. I was getting lunch in New York. This Mexican Restaurant. This is like 2009, 2010. I asked for the check, and the server's like, "Oh, that's fine, it's been taken care of," Serena Williams' husband said.
"And I'm like, "What do you mean?" And she points over to one of the bussers. He just sort of nods at me, and gets back to work, and she says, "So-and-so, he told me you're the Reddit guy. Check's taken care of here. Your tacos are on us." And I was like, "Really?"," he added.
The 41-year-old characterized the experience as surreal, with the whole incident reminding him of a scene from the 1999 cult classic Fight Club. Ohanian himself jokingly added that he is not Tyler Durden, alluding to the film's legendary and mysterious hero.
"It reminded me of that scene in Fight Club, because at this time Reddit was still very much underground. And it was this moment where I was just floored by the generosity of these strangers. That was pretty awesome, and also kind of mysterious. And I'm definitely not Tyler Durden," Ohanian said.
Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian reflected on the creative ways he promoted Reddit in its early years
Alexis Ohanian shared a fascinating story about how he promoted Reddit, back in 2005. Taking to X last month, Ohanian revealed that he used to tag Reddit’s mascot, Snoo, on walls within the popular video game Half-Life 2 using spray paint.
“In the early days of Reddit, and I’m talking 2005. First year, I made a custom spray that I used in Half-Life 2 to spray on the walls a Snoo while playing and tell people in the chat, “Check out reddit.com,”” Serena Williams' husband said.
In other news, Alexis Ohanian shared why he kept Reddit’s name despite objections from his co-founder and investors.