The fortunes of National League team Wrexham changed drastically on 16 November 2020 when it was confirmed that RR McReynolds Company would take over the Welsh club.
Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney became the club's co-owners, McReynolds being a composite of their two surnames, and almost instantly put one of the world's oldest professional football clubs from a city close to the English border back on the map. The club failed to complete a fairytale first full season by falling to eventual play-off winners Grimsby Town at the semi-final stage, but are now poised to push for promotion again.
Ahead of a potential automatic promotion to the Football League (EFL) or another attempt to reach League Two through the National League play-offs, we take a look at how Reynolds ended up being a part owner of Wrexham.
READ MORE: Who is Rob McElhenney? Ryan Reynolds' business partner behind Welcome to Wrexham
How has Reynolds made his money?
The 46-year-old is an award-winning actor, perhaps best known for his portrayal of Marvel superhero Deadpool in an eponymous 2016 film based on the character and a subsequent sequel in 2018, with a trilogy on the way in 2024. It is a role that earned Reynolds a nomination at the 2017 Golden Globe Awards for the best performance in a comedy or musical, which was eventually won by La La Land's Ryan Gosling. Reynolds has also starred in the likes of Green Lantern (2011) and Free Guy (2021), as well as lending his voice to the animated feature Pokémon: Detective Pikachu (2019).
What else does he own?
As well as Wrexham, Reynolds has an estimated 20 to 25 per cent ownership stake in the American telecommunications company Mint Mobile, which operates on T-Mobile's network. Reynolds also had a stake in Aviation American Gin until it was sold to the British alcoholic beverages company Diageo, but retains an ongoing ownership interest in the US-based brand.
The Vancouver-born actor founded the production company Maximum Effort in January 2018. Reynolds is also on the board of online dating giant Match Group, was part of a group that invested in Canadian investment management service Wealthsimple and also has an equity stake in streaming service FuboTV
Is he involved in any other sports?
No, not yet. Reynolds has previously confirmed in November 2022 an interest in acquiring a stake in the National Hockey League team, the Ottawa Senators, but insisted that a consortium would be required to fund such an endeavour for the ice hockey team. Reports have also suggested that the Canadian met with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman around the same time.
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