Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney in a scene from the docuseries 'Welcome to Wrexham', which follows the actors as they purchase non-league Welsh football team Wrexham AFC. Photo: FX
The series begins with the initial late-night conversation between the actors where the idea was formed. Photo: FX
Club striker Dior Angus and Reynolds in a scene from 'Welcome to Wrexham'. Photo: FX
Reynolds and McElhenney at a match between Wrexham and Grimsby Town at the Racecourse Ground, the team's home stadium, in May. Getty Images
Reynolds and McElhenney after a match. The pair say they've fallen head over heels in love with football. Reuters
Reynolds and McElhenney going through the highs, and many lows, of being football fans. Reuters
Reynolds and McElhenney say they initially knew very little about football. Reuters
Reynolds at a football match with friends. Reuters
Reynolds said it was another close friend, David Beckham, who helped him understand 'soccer'. Reuters
Reynolds, Beckham and Will Ferrell at a match. Reuters
Reynolds with wife Blake Lively and Beckham at a match at Wembley Stadium, London, in May. AP
McElhenney and Reynolds prior to the FA Trophy final between Wrexham and Bromley in May. AP
Celebrity Net Worth: Ryan Reynolds doubles fortune after Mint sale
In our fortnightly celebrity investment and wealth round-up, tennis star Naomi Osaka invests in a vegan ramen brand while 'RRR' star Ram Charan is worth $175 million
The Canadian sold his stake in the prepaid budget wireless provider to telecoms operator T-Mobile US as part of a larger cash-and-stock deal.
He had a net worth of $150 million before the deal, according to wealth tracker Celebrity Net Worth.
T-Mobile is buying Mint parent Ka'ena Corporation for up to $1.35 billion to expand its prepaid phone business and acquire more lower-income users. The deal, expected to close later this year, also includes wireless calling service Ultra Mobile and wholesaler Plum.
“I never dreamt I'd own a wireless company and I certainly never dreamt I’d sell it to T-Mobile,” Reynolds said in a tweet. “Life is strange and I'm incredibly proud and grateful.”
He will remain on-board at Mint in a creative role.
Reynolds could receive $70 million in cash after tax and $205 million worth of T-Mobile stock, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
His stake in Mint was about 25 per cent, Fortune magazine reported. He purchased it in 2019 in what he billed as a way to make technology more accessible.
“It’s a bit unconventional, which is why I like it,” the Deadpool star said at the time.
“Mint is making wireless way more affordable at a time when the average American is paying $65 a month. I’m excited to champion a more practical approach to the most essential technology.”
Watch: Ryan Reynolds's Wrexham AFC spoof video
A significant portion of that fortune comes from his roles as a leading actor. He earns a pre-tax minimum of $20 million per project, the website estimates. With his share of box-office revenue factored in, he may have earned up to $40 million for Deadpool 2.
But his role as an investor probably trumps his acting income.
In 2020, beverage company Diageo bought his Aviation American beverage brand for an initial payment of $335 million, The Guardian reported. Depending on how the brand performs over the next 10 years, he could receive an additional $275 million because of how the deal is structured.
In 2018, Reynolds founded Maximum Effort, a film production company and digital marketing agency with George Dewey.
Two years later, he teamed with fellow actor Rob McElhenney to buy Wrexham AFC, the oldest football club in Wales.
While they bought the club with no upfront investment, the terms of the deal required them to invest £2 million ($2.42 million). The team has since risen in the rankings of the National League. Whether it will be the actor's next investment to turn a profit remains to be seen.
Naomi Osaka has invested in vegan ramen brand Immi. Getty
Naomi Osaka
Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka, 25, has put her stamp of approval on vegan ramen, with an investment in low-carb, high-protein brand Immi.
The four-time Grand Slam champion, who announced in January that she was expecting her first child, recently joined a $10 million series A funding round led by Touch Capital.
Other celebrity investors in the brand include singer Usher, speed skater Apolo Ohno, and DJs Kygo and Gryffin, the company said.
The new funds will help Immi to launch new flavours, expand its retail footprint and hire personnel for key leadership roles.
“I'm excited to announce my investment in Immi, which has revolutionised the ramen industry with a low-carb, high-protein, plant-based and delicious alternative to one of my favourite childhood foods,” Osaka said.
Osaka was the highest-paid female athlete in 2022, with earnings of $51.1 million, according to calculations by Forbes magazine. Only $1.1 million of that total came from playing professional tennis.
The majority of her income came from endorsements for brands such as Louis Vuitton and Tag Heuer. In November, she lost a significant sponsorship deal when cryptocurrency exchange FTX, founded by Sam Bankman-Fried, filed for bankruptcy.
Osaka and other celebrities such as Larry David, Giselle Bundchen, Tom Brady, Larry David and Shaquille O’Neal are being sued for promoting FTX.
But Osaka and O’Neal could receive a reprieve in the multibillion-dollar class-action lawsuit.
Last week, Florida federal judge Kevin Moore asked the plaintiffs to show cause why the two celebrities should not be dismissed from the suit, according to the Coin Telegraph website. The FTX customers have until December to do so.
Osaka, 25, is also an entrepreneur and investor. She is the founder of skincare line Kinlo and — together with her agent and business partner Stuart Duguid — she established the production company, Hana Kuma, and the talent agency, Evolve.
Her net worth is estimated at $45 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
Ram Charan is one of the highest-paid actors in India. AP
Charan’s primary sources of income are his film work and brand endorsements.
The son of 1990s star Chiranjeevi made his acting debut in the 2007 action film Chirutha, going on to become one of the highest-paid actors in India.
Charan now charges $12.1 million per film, according to the Times of India. In addition to his acting fees, he reportedly also receives a share of any box-office profits from the movies he stars in.
He has been the face of more than 30 brands, including Pepsi, Hero MotoCorp, Tata Docomo and Disney + Hotstar.
In 2016, he launched Konidela Production Company to make films. Its successes include Khaidi No. 150 and Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy.
Outside of entertainment, he reportedly owns the Ram Charan Hyderabad Polo and Riding Club polo team. Charan was also a partner in the southern Indian regional airline, TruJet, which ceased operations in 2022.
His property investments include a bungalow in the affluent Jubilee Hills district of Hyderabad, and a penthouse in Mumbai, according to GQ India.
Supermodel Karlie Kloss has invested in sustainable nappy brand Coterie. Getty Images
No details were announced about the nature of the partnership or the size of the investment. However, the brand said it plans to introduce new parenting and baby products in the future.
Since its launch in 2019, Coterie has sold more than 100 million nappies and raised $23.8 million in funding.
“To now have the opportunity to be a part of the Coterie family, bridging the gap between consumer and investor, makes my commitment to and adoration for this innovative brand even more special,” Kloss said.
Kloss, 30, has a net worth of $40 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
Her income stems principally from modelling and endorsements for brands such as Jean Paul Gaultier, L'Oreal Paris, Swarovski and Nike.
Off the runway, Kloss has a number of projects to her name. In 2015, she launched Kode with Klossy, a software training non-profit.
The coding camp aims to promote gender equity in technology through scholarships and free summer camps. Now held in 19 cities across the US, the camp will go international for the first time this year, with a London debut expected this summer.
Kloss has also been an angel investor for several years, with 19 private equity investments to date.
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Ahmed Raza (captain), Chirag Suri (vice-captain), Rohan Mustafa, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Boota, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmad, Zawar Farid, CP Rizwaan, Aryan Lakra, Karthik Meiyappan, Alishan Sharafu, Basil Hameed, Kashif Daud, Adithya Shetty, Vriitya Aravind
UAE Falcons
Carly Lewis (captain), Emily Fensome, Kelly Loy, Isabel Affley, Jessica Cronin, Jemma Eley, Jenna Guy, Kate Lewis, Megan Polley, Charlie Preston, Becki Quigley and Sophie Siffre. Deb Jones and Lucia Sdao – coach and assistant coach.
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah 5.10pm: Continous 5.45pm: Raging Torrent 6.20pm: West Acre 7pm: Flood Zone 7.40pm: Straight No Chaser 8.15pm: Romantic Warrior 8.50pm: Calandogan 9.30pm: Forever Young
It Was Just an Accident
Director: Jafar Panahi
Stars: Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr
Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
Premier League-standard football pitch
400m Olympic running track
NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
600-seat auditorium
Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
Specialist robotics and science laboratories
AR and VR-enabled learning centres
Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Profile
Name: Carzaty
Founders: Marwan Chaar and Hassan Jaffar
Launched: 2017
Employees: 22
Based: Dubai and Muscat
Sector: Automobile retail
Funding to date: $5.5 million
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
The specs: Fenyr SuperSport
Price, base: Dh5.1 million
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 800hp @ 7,100pm
Torque: 980Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 13.5L / 100km
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE) TV: Match on BeIN Sports
