Actor Ryan Reynolds isn't just a movie star, he's also a business mogul with his own liquor brand Aviation American Gin and his own mobile company Mint Mobile—at least until recently.
Now, he's the *former* owner of his own mobile company Mint Mobile. And $300 million richer.
Reynolds' Mint Mobile company was just acquired by telecom giant T-Mobile for a deal worth as much as $1.35 billion—some $300 million of which will go directly into Reynolds' wallet. And boy is he feeling grateful.
Reynolds took to Twitter to share his feelings after the big sale.
Reynolds tweeted:
"I never dreamt I’d own a wireless company and I certainly never dreamt I’d sell it to T-Mobile. Life is strange and I’m incredibly proud and grateful. #MintMobile"
T-Mobile purchased Mint's parent company Ka'ena Corp, which also oversees sister companies Ultra Mobile and wholesaler Plum. Mint and Ultra will now join T-Mobile's roster of prepaid mobile companies Metro by T-Mobile, T-Mobile prepaid and Connect by T-Mobile.
Reynolds will stay on at Mint in his creative role, while founders David Glickman and Rizwan Kassim will continue managing the brand at T-Mobile. The total value of the deal will depend on Ka'ena Corp's performance around the time the deal closes later this year, but is estimated to land north of a billion bucks.
And it's likely to put Reynolds close to billionaire status, too. Reynolds wasn't exactly hurting prior to the sale, after all.
Website Celebrity Net Worth has Reynolds' fortune set at $350 million but people questioned the accuracy of that figure.
In 2020 Reynolds sold Aviation to liquor giant Diageo, owner of Tanqueray, Smirnoff, Johnnie Walker and other iconic brands, for $610 million. That deal alone paid Reynolds $335 million plus additional payouts of up to $275 million depending on sales of the product through 2030. Reynolds also still holds a large and very lucrative stake in the company.
He is also the co-owner—with It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia star Rob McElhenney—of the Wrexham AFC soccer team in the Welsh city of Wrexham which spawned a documentary series. Then there's that whole film career of headlining super-hero movies for eight-figure paydays and whatnot.
It's more likely Reynolds millionaire status is a lot closer to billionaire status, especially after the T-Mobile deal.
And on Twitter, Reynolds' friends and fans were quick to congratulate him, including faux "frenemy" Hugh Jackman.
Reynolds' next film project, Deadpool 3, is slated for release in 2024.
He was paid another $20 million for that, plus points on the film's box office. He's basically a one-man bank at this point.
Nice work if you can get it, as the saying goes.
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