In 2019, Ryan Reynolds bought a stake in Mint Mobile, a budget wireless carrier most people had never heard of. By his own admission, it started as "kind of a joke."
Four years later, he sold that stake to T-Mobile for $1.35 billion.
Ryan Reynolds isn't just a movie star anymore. He's one of the most successful marketers in the world—a man who's turned his self-aware, meta-comedic persona into a business empire worth billions.
The Marketing Revelation
Ryan Reynolds discovered his superpower during Deadpool.
The film had a small budget, so Ryan did the marketing himself—creating viral videos, trolling other franchises, and making fun of the superhero genre. The approach was revolutionary:
- Self-deprecating humor
- Breaking the fourth wall
- Acknowledging the absurdity of promotion
- Being in on the joke with audiences
Deadpool made $783 million on a $58 million budget. Studios credited the marketing as much as the film.
Ryan realized: "Oh, I'm actually good at this."
Aviation Gin: The First Test
In 2018, Ryan bought a stake in Aviation Gin and became its face. But instead of typical celebrity endorsement, he did something different:
- Made fun of other celebrity liquor brands
- Created ads that mocked advertising itself
- Responded to cultural moments in real-time
- Trolled his own wife Blake Lively's projects
The approach worked spectacularly. Aviation Gin grew from obscurity to one of the bestselling gins in America.
In 2020, Ryan sold Aviation to Diageo for $610 million. He kept a stake and stayed involved in marketing.
First billion-dollar exit: complete.
The Mint Mobile Strategy
Mint Mobile was even more unlikely. A budget wireless carrier? How do you make that cool?
Ryan's approach:
- Star in deliberately cheap-looking ads
- Make fun of how cheap the ads look
- Mock expensive celebrity endorsements while being one
- Highlight that they spend money on service, not advertising
- Be relentlessly self-aware
A typical ad: Ryan, clearly reading from a teleprompter, says Mint is "premium wireless for $15/month" while acknowledging "this ad cost, like, $40 to make."
It's anti-advertising advertising. And it works because:
- It stands out from polished competitors
- It feels honest
- It makes viewers feel smart
- Ryan's delivery is genuinely funny
The T-Mobile Sale
In March 2023, T-Mobile announced it was acquiring Mint Mobile for $1.35 billion.
Ryan's stake was reportedly around 25%, meaning he made over $300 million—on top of his existing wealth from Aviation and acting.
The announcement video? Vintage Ryan. He made fun of the sale, made fun of T-Mobile's CEO, and made fun of himself for "selling out."
It was an ad for the acquisition. And it went viral.
Maximum Effort Productions
Ryan's marketing brilliance led to Maximum Effort—his production company that does ads, content, and films.
Maximum Effort's clients have included:
- Peloton (the notorious "comeback" ad)
- Match.com (Satan finding love in 2020)
- Mint Mobile
- Aviation Gin
- His own films
The company's philosophy: fast, funny, culturally relevant. They can create ads in days, not months, responding to news cycles in real-time.
When the Peloton wife became a meme, Maximum Effort had an Aviation Gin ad starring the actress within 48 hours. It got 7 million views.
The Formula
Ryan's marketing approach has identifiable elements:
Meta-Awareness He acknowledges he's selling you something. He makes fun of the fact he's selling you something. Paradoxically, this makes the sell more effective.
Speed Maximum Effort responds to culture immediately. While other brands are still in meetings, Ryan has an ad.
Authenticity His persona (funny, self-deprecating, irreverent) is consistent across everything. You believe he actually thinks this stuff is funny.
Transparency He shows the "behind the curtain" stuff—bad takes, low budgets, obvious product placement. This feels honest.
Celebrity Trolling He constantly makes fun of other celebrities, his wife, his friends, and mostly himself. It prevents him from seeming arrogant.
The Wrexham Investment
In 2020, Ryan and Rob McElhenney bought Wrexham AFC, a Welsh football club in the fifth tier of English football.
It seemed like a joke. It became a phenomenon.
The documentary Welcome to Wrexham has been a massive hit. The club has been promoted twice. Merchandise sales have exploded. The town has been transformed.
Ryan's magic: he made people care about something they'd never heard of.
What Makes Him Different
Plenty of celebrities "invest" in things. What makes Ryan different?
He Actually Works He's not a passive investor. He writes ads. He edits. He's in the meetings. He's doing the job.
He Understands Internet Culture He knows what will go viral because he thinks like the internet, not like a traditional marketer.
He's Not Precious He'll make fun of anything, including his own films. This makes him trustworthy.
He's Fast Hollywood moves slowly. Ryan moves immediately. That speed is his competitive advantage.
He Picks Right Aviation, Mint, Wrexham—all seemed unlikely but had real product-market fit. He sees potential others miss.
The Total Empire
Ryan Reynolds' business holdings are now extensive:
- Aviation Gin (retained stake after Diageo sale)
- Mint Mobile (retained stake after T-Mobile sale)
- Wrexham AFC (co-owner)
- Maximum Effort Productions
- 1Password (investor)
- Multiple other tech investments
His net worth is estimated at $350+ million, but his influence on marketing is worth more. He's changed how brands think about promotion.
The Blake Lively Partnership
Ryan's business success is intertwined with his marriage to Blake Lively:
- They troll each other constantly in public
- Their social media "feud" generates press
- They support each other's ventures
- They've created a "power couple" brand
The dynamic works because it seems real. Whether it is or not, it's effective.
What's Next
Ryan Reynolds' future likely includes:
- More acquisitions of underdog brands
- Maximum Effort expanding to major clients
- Wrexham potentially reaching the Premier League
- A shift from acting to full-time business
He's said he wants to be known as a businessman who acted, not an actor who did business.
Given his track record, he'll probably succeed.
The Lesson
Ryan Reynolds discovered that his comedic skills were actually marketing skills. He discovered that being funny, fast, and self-aware was worth billions.
His approach can't be copied exactly—his persona is his competitive advantage. But the principles can:
- Be faster than everyone
- Be honest about what you're doing
- Don't take yourself seriously
- Make people feel smart for getting the joke
He took a "joke" investment in a phone company and turned it into $1.35 billion.
That's not luck. That's genius.
And he'd be the first person to make fun of you for calling it that.
