Ryan Reynolds is technically not a billionaire, but he took one giant step closer to that status on Wednesday when T-Mobile announced it was buying Mint Mobile. Ryan, 46, purchased an ownership stake in Mint Mobile in 2019 and has since become the face of the wireless carrier in its advertising. Under the agreement, which is expected to close later this year, T-Mobile will buy Ka’ena Corp. and its subsidiaries and brands (Mint Mobile, international wireless service Ultra Mobile, and wholesaler Plum) for $1.35 billion. Ryan is reported to own between 20-25% of Mint, per The Hollywood Reporter, meaning he will get “a low nine-figure payday.”
I only want the best for Mint Mobile customers. Think I’ve found it. pic.twitter.com/nSNmGKLmN2
— Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) March 15, 2023
In 2020, Forbes listed Ryan’s estimated net worth at $71.5 million. That year, he and Rob McEhelnney, purchased Wrexham Association Football Club, which he parlayed into the Welcome to Wrexham reality series. Since then, Ryan’s other commercial ventures and high-paying acting gigs have brought home the bacon. While he may not be able to call himself a billionaire the same way that Kim Kardashian, Rihanna, and Tiger Woods can, he’s getting close.
“Mint Mobile is the best deal in wireless, and today’s news only enhances our ability to deliver for our customers,” Ryan said in a statement released on Mar. 15. “We are so happy T-Mobile beat out an aggressive last-minute bid from my mom Tammy Reynolds as we believe the excellence of their 5G network will provide a better strategic fit than my mom’s slightly-above-average mahjong skills. I am so proud of the entire Mint team and so excited for what’s to come.”
In a video shared to his social media, Ryan and Mike Sievert, CEO of T-Mobile, explained that Mint had been using T-Mobile’s network and that the brand’s affordable $15 a month price plan would stay in place. “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,” Ryan tweeted.
The Mint Mobile sale comes roughly three years after Ryan sold his Aviation American Gin to Davos Brands LLC. The deal was worth a reported $610 million, with the world’s largest spirits and beers producer putting up $335 million upfront, with “an additional $275 million possible payday depending on Aviation’s performance over the next ten years,” per Vanity Fair. Ryan purchased a stake in the gin brand in 2018, and as part of the deal with Davos, he would retain an “ongoing ownership stake.”