>> Stephen: HOW HAVE YOU BEEN?.
>> WELL.
HAD A BUSY LAST YEAR.
>> Stephen: WHEN DID YOU -- YOU STARTED REDDIT.
>> FULL TIME CAPITALIST.
>> Stephen: FOR PEOPLE WHO DON'T KNOW WHAT REDDIT IS, I
WOULD BE SURPRISED BECAUSE IT IS THE FOURTH MOST VIEWED WEB SITE
IN THE U.S.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE WHAT REDDIT IS?
I'VE DESCRIBED IT AND PEOPLE GO, NO, THAT'S NOT WHAT IT IS.
>> THIS WAY YOU CAN TELL PEOPLE DEFINITIVELY: A COLLECTION OF
COMMUNITIES, 100,000 PLUS OF USERS ALL OVER WHO ARE SHARING
CONVERSATIONS AND COMMENTS.
>> Stephen: THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING INTERESTING ON REDDIT.
>> GUARANTEED.
I WANT TO DISCOVER THE NEXT ALEXIS OHANIAN, HAND THEM A
CHECK AND HAVE THEM CREATE SOMETHING EVEN BIGGER AND
BETTER.
>> Stephen: THE NEXT ALEXIS OHANIAN IS ACTUALLY YOUR OWN
CHILD RIGHT THERE.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: THERE IS YOUR BEAUTIFUL CHILD OLYMPIA, RIGHT
THERE.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: WHO IS THE DAUGHTER OF YOU AND YOUR LOVELY
WIFE SERENA WILLIAMS.
RIGHT THERE.
THERE YOU ARE.
( APPLAUSE ) HOW, ALEXIS, BECAUSE I KNEW YOU
BEFORE YOU WERE MARRIED TO THIS LOVELY WOMAN.
HOW DOES A SELF-DESCRIBED UNEQUIVOCAL NERD END UP WITH ONE
OF THE GREATEST ATHLETES IN RECORDED HISTORY?
HOW DOES THAT COME ABOUT?
IT'S NOT A NATURAL MATCH!
( LAUGHTER ) I COULD HAVE WON A LOT OF MONEY
IF I BET ON THIS, THE ODDS WOULD HAVE BEEN PRETTY GOOD.
>> DON'T EVER TELL ME THE ODDS, STEVEN.
I WOULD BEG TO DIFFER ON ONE HAND BECAUSE SHE'S AN ACTUAL
TOTAL NERD, INDEED.
>> Stephen: REALLY?
WE MET THROUGH CIRCUMSTANCE.
I WAS AN INTERNET CONFERENCE IN ROME, SHE WAS PLAYING A
TOURNAMENT THERE, AND I HAD TOO MUCH TO DRINK THE NIGHT BEFORE,
AS IS THE THING, RED WINE FLOWS NICELY IN ITALY, AND I
OVERSLEPT, MISSED BREAKFAST, I'M A FIEND FOR COFFEE, AND THE NICE
FOLKS SAID, IF YOU FEED COFFEE, SIR, GO SIT OUTSIDE.
I GRABBED A TABLE, OPENED MY LAPTOP AND THIS AUSTRALIAN GUY,
TURNED OUT TO BE HER ASSISTANT, IS LIKE, I'M MIKE, HI.
I TAKE OFF MY HEADPHONES.
AND HE SAYS THERE'S A RAT NEAR YOUR TABLE, YOU SHOULD MOVE.
I TOLD HIM THANK YOU, BUT I'M FROM BROOKLYN, I SEE RATS ALL
THE TIME, IT'S REALLY NOT A BIG DEAL.
( LAUGHTER ) YEAH.
>> Stephen: SO THAT WAS JUST TO GET YOU TO MOVE ALONG.
>> I LATER L,ARNED THEY WERE TRYING TO GET RID OF ME.
THEY WERE PLANNING ON USING THE TABLE FOR THE REST OF THEIR
TEAM.
BUT SERENA TURNED AROUND AND SAID, YOU'RE NOT AFRAID OF RATS?
I SAID, NO.
SHE ASKED IF I WAS THERE AT THE TECH CONFERENCE.
I SAID YES.
SHE ASKED ME WHO I WAS THERE TO SEE SPEAK.
I SAID I WAS SPEAKING.
SHE ASKED WHAT I DID.
I SAID I STARTED THIS COMPANY CALLED REDDIT AND I DO
INVESTING.
SHE SAID REDDIT, I NEVER HEARD OF IT.
( LAUGHTER ) AT THE TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO
THINK SHE HAD A HIDDEN AGENDA, BUT SHE SAID IT WAS PURELY
PROFESSIONAL AND GOT MY NUMBER TO ASK ME QUESTIONS ABOUT TECH
AND SOME OF THE BUSINESSES SHE WAS INTERESTED IN.
ONE THING LED TO ANOTHER AND SHE MADE WHAT I CALL AN L.A. INVITE
FOR ME TO SEE HER PLAY IN FRANCE.
SHE MADE THE INVITE WITH NO INTENTION OF ACTUALLY TAKE MEG
UP ON IT.
>> Stephen: SHE'S JUST SORT OF LIKE, OH, YOU SHOULD COME, I'M
PLAYING AT THE FRENCH OPEN.
>> WITH NO INTENTION OF ME TAKING HER UP ON IT OR IT EVEN
BEING A SINCERE INVITATION.
>> Stephen: WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU SHOW UP?
>> I FIGURED, I'M AN ENTREPRENEUR AND YOU HAVE TO
DEFAULT TO SITUATIONS AND TRUST YOUR INSTINCT AND KNOW WHAT YOU
WANT AND DO IT.
I FIGURED WORSE CASE SCENARIO, I HAVE A GREAT STORY OF HOW I GOT
BLOWN OFF FOR THE WEEKEND, I HAVE FRIENDS IN PARIS, I HAVE A
GOOD TIME.
I LET HER KNOW I WAS GOING TO BE IN TOWN AND IT WAS A PERFECT
COINCIDENCE, I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE IN PARIS, ANYWAY.
I WASN'T.
>> Stephen: VERY SMOOTH.
AND I WAS ONLY THERE FOR THE WEEKEND.
I SAID I WAS WAY TOO BUSY TO MEET ON SATURDAY.
>> Stephen: YOU FLEW TO PARIS AND TRIED TO ACT COOL?
>> YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
>> Stephen: I'M JUST HERE TO CHECK OUT THE LOCAL RATS?
( LAUGHTER ) >> YOU ASKED ME HOW IT HAPPENED,
THAT'S HOW.
I TOLD HER I WAS REALLY BUSY.
THEN SHE TRIED TO BLOW ME OFF.
EVENTUALLY, WE ENDED UP WANDERING DOWN PARIS TOGETHER,
AND THE MOMENT I KNEW WE FOUND THIS LITTLE ZOO, AND I SAW IT
OUT OF THE CORNER OF MY EYE AND I SAID WE'RE GOING TO WALK
THROUGH THE ZOO.
THERE WAS THIS BIG CAT LIKE A LEOPARD, A MAJESTIC CREATURE,
AND THEN IT WAS FEEDING TIME.
THEY THREW OUT A BUNNY.
>> Stephen: A DEAD BUNNY?
IT WAS A DEAD BUNNY BUT IT WAS A SHOW.
AND THIS LEOPARD JUST WENT IN AND BLOOD IS GOING EVERYWHERE.
SHE'S VERY ROMANTIC AND SHE'S STANDING IN FRONT OF ME AND I
CAN TELL SHE'S VERY UNSETTLED BY IT.
I SAID, IT'S COOL, WE'RE GOING TO KEEP GOING.
P BUT IN THAT MOMENT, I SAID, THERE'S A CONNECTION.
AND IN THAT MOMENT, THANKS TO THAT POOR RABBITT, I FOUND LOVE,
IN SPITE OF EVERYTHING ELSE.
>> Stephen: CONGRATULATIONS.
THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: AND ON THE NEW VENTURE.
>> YES ( APPLAUSE )
>> Stephen: TELL ME ABOUT INITIALIZED CAPITAL AND CRYPT
OCCURRENCEY AND DON'T EXPLAIN BLOCK CHAIN OR I WILL WALK OFF
THIS STAGE RIGHT NOW.
>> WOW IS THAT SO WHY CRYPT OCCURRENCEY?
WHY NOT MONEY?
PEOPLE WILL SPEND IT.
>> YEAH, WELL, SO WHAT THIS DOES IS ACTUALLY IT'S A FUEL FOR A
POTENTIALLY NEW INTERNET AND THINGS LIKE BI BITCOIN AND CRYPT
OCCURRENCEY IS A CHANCE FOR US TO HAVE A CURRENCY NOT BACKED BY
A SINGLE COUNTRY.
WE STILL EXPECT THE COUNTRY WILL BE HERE IN THE NEXT TWENTY
YEARS.
>> Stephen: IF WE MAKE IT THROUGH NEXT THREE, WE WILL BE
JUST FINE.
THERE WAS A BLOODLESS REVOLUTION IN AIR MEANIE WHICH IS
FANTASTIC.
BUT IN SO MANY STATES THERE IS UNCERTAINTY ABOUT GOVERNMENT AND
MOVIE AND PEOPLE SEE THEIR LIFE SAVINGS DISAPPEAR.
THERE IS A VALUE OF HAVING A CURRENCY THAT'S POTENTIALLY LESS
VOLATILE THAN THE STATES WITH HYPERINFLATION.
AND WE TAKE FOR GRAND WE HAVE BANK ACCOUNTS AND WE THINK WE
CAN MOVE THIS MONEY HERE AND THERE.
BUT FOR SO MANY PEOPLE TO HAVE THE SECURITY OF KNOWING WHAT IT
IS YOURS IS YOURS AND NOW THAT IT'S DIGITAL COULD BE
TRANSFERRED WITH YOU WHEREVER YOU'RE GOING IS AN EMPOWERING
THING.
>> Stephen: GOOD LUCK.
I HOPE WE DON'T NEED IT.
>> I HOPE SO, TOO.
>> Stephen: ALEXIS OHANIAN, EVERYBODY!
BACK WITH A PERFORMANCE BY "LAKE STREET DIVE"!