Serena Williams Just Became The First Athlete To Make Forbes’ Richest Self-Made Women List
We will always stan for Serena Williams and all of her illustrious black girl magic — whether she’s dazzling us on the tennis court or with her investment portfolio. The mom and wife recently made history as the first athlete to ever make Forbes‘ Richest Self-Made Women list.
According to the business publication, our girl is worth an estimated $225 million. What’s even more impressive is that the majority of her earnings are the result of smart investments — not her athletic prowess. For five years, Williams has been silently investing money into thirty-four startup companies via her investment firm, Serena Ventures.
“In 2014, (yes I know I can keep a secret) I launched Serena Ventures with the mission of giving opportunities to founders across an array of industries,” she announced on Instagram back in April. “Serena Ventures invests in companies that embrace diverse leadership, individual empowerment, creativity and opportunity.”
Williams shared that she has no interest in merely being a silent partner or the face of her venture capitalist firm. She intends to play an active role.
“I want to be a part of it,” she told the publication. “I want to be in the infrastructure. I want to be the brand, instead of just being the face.”
Serena Ventures specifically focuses on companies founded and owned by minorities and women. 60 percent of her investments to date have gone to women or minority-led businesses. According to the 37-year-old athlete, the way she has found success taking this route is by getting in on the ground floor and nurturing these companies early.
“I learned you can’t overspend, but I also learned that I love seed investing,” she explained. “It’s fun to get in there. I don’t gamble. I don’t jump off buildings. I’m the most non-taking-a-chance kind of a person, but I felt like seed was where we wanted to be.”