Actor Ryan Reynolds is known around the world for his portrayal of the merc with the mouth, Wade Wilson in Deadpool. The film was a huge success at the box office, earning over $782 million globally. It spawned a sequel Deadpool 2 which was even more successful earning over $785 million. The actor will be featuring in the upcoming Deadpool 3.
Ryan Reynolds has used international recognition and has invested in a lot of businesses. He used to be a contributing board member for Aviation Gin. The actor also became the owner of the Welsh football club Wrexham AFC and turned the team around. He was also in a bidding war with Snoop Dogg to purchase the Canadian ice hockey team, the Ottawa Senators.
Ryan Reynolds: The Businessman
For the past few years, it seems like Ryan Reynolds has the Midas Touch. Apart from starring in successful films such as Free Guy, The Adam Project, and the Deadpool franchise, Reynolds has also been a major stakeholder in many companies and has increased their value.
Ryan Reynolds started his first venture with the production company Maximum Effort. While primarily being a film production company, it is also known for its innovative ads, many of which are tied up with Reynolds’ other films. The production company has produced Deadpool 2, Free Guy, Spirited, and The Adam Project, and will be producing Deadpool 3.
Reynolds bought a major stakeholder in the mobile network company Mint Mobile. He also acquired a stake in the alcohol brand Aviation Gin. The brand became known for its innovative ads, and Reynolds promoted it in his films Red Notice and Deadpool 2.
Reynolds’ most successful venture to date and that is not just by profits, is the football club Wrexham AFC. He became a co-owner of the club along with It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia fame Rob McElhenney in 2020. After fifteen years of being a non-league club, the oldest Welsh club finally got promoted to the EFL League 2 earlier this year, under the duo’s leadership. The story of how Reynolds and McElhenney turned around the fate of the club was detailed in the documentary Welcome to Wrexham.
Ryan Reynolds’ Bidding War With Snoop Dogg
In late 2022, reports started indicating that Ryan Reynolds was interested in buying the NHL ice hockey team the Ottawa Senators. The Canadian actor is a native of Vancouver but has spent a considerable amount of time in Vanier, Ottawa. While reports speculated Reynols’ involvement in the bid, he addressed it on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,
“I am trying to do – it’s very expensive…So, I need a partner with, you know, really deep pockets. It’s called a consortium, where you form a group together to buy an entity. It’s such a fancy way of saying, ‘I need a sugar mommy or a sugar daddy’…If that doesn’t work out I’ll buy a U.S. Senator which anyone can afford.”
The actor also mentioned that running Wrexham AFC had consumed half of his life and was hoping the other half would be consumed by the Ottawa Senators. However, rapper Snoop Dogg indicated that he would be joining businessman Neco Sparks to buy a stake in the team. He indicated with an Instagram post,
“Amazing what @neko_sparks is trying to do in Ottawa & I’m looking forward to being a part of that ownership team. I WANNA BRING HOCKEY TO OUR COMMUNITY.”
Snoop Dogg had expressed interest in the sport earlier and had even hosted a web series that discussed the history of the NHL. While both celebrities seem to have had a bidding war going along with their respective partners, it was reported that Ryan Reynolds had withdrawn his bid in March 2023. Snoop Dogg seems to have lost out on the opportunity as well since the team finalized the sale with Canadian businessman Michael Andlauer.
Source: The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
