Ryan Reynolds has gone from being a little-known teen soap opera actor to building a multi-billion-dollar business empire. For years, industry pundits have been racking their brains to crack the secret sauce of this mastermind, and some have even hit the nail on the head with their theories. With his unique marketing approach and ability to give his brands a life of their own, Reynolds has stepped into a new era of star entrepreneurship, earning hundreds of millions of dollars from business ventures and shrewd investments. 

As of 2024, Ryan Reynolds' business empire is valued at over $14 billion, and here is a trace of all the major businesses he has co-owned or invested in that has contributed to this fortune, spanning from 2018 to 2024. 

Upon trying Aviation Gin for the first time as a consumer, Ryan Reynolds knew that this was a brand worth investing in. In 2018, he not only became the face of the brand with cheeky, self-deprecating commercials but also decided to buy an ownership interest in it. Later, in 2020, Reynolds sold his stake in Aviation Gin to Diageo for $610 million while still maintaining his position as the brand ambassador. 

In the same year that he invested in Aviation Gin, Ryan Reynolds also co-founded Maximum Effort, a production and digital marketing company. He co-founded the company alongside George Dewey, who was also involved in the marketing of Deadpool. This company was also behind the production of Reynolds starrer movies like Free Guy and The Adam Project.

The production company has also co-produced the upcoming Deadpool & Wolverine alongside Marvel Studios and 21 Laps Entertainment. After MNTN bought the company in 2021, the Canadian actor took charge of Maximum Effort's marketing as the chief creative officer and kept on producing innovative commercials. 

Ryan Reynolds’ Insanely High-Valued Investments That Will Surprise You

Reynolds helped produce several viral commercials not only for other brands but also for his own brands, including Mint Mobile. 

Ryan Reynolds took the reins of Mint Mobile in 2019. Much like his previous ventures, the star was involved in the brand’s marketing and produced several catchy and innovative advertisements. The actor sold the company for a whopping $1.35 billion to T-Mobile, which became one of his most lucrative returns.

Ryan Reynolds took a departure from companies and shifted his attention towards the Welsh football team, Wrexham AFC, in 2020. He bought the team for $2.5 million alongside Rob McElhenney. Under their ownership, the team made a grand return to the EFL and won the National League title in April 2023.

This further opened up more income prospects for Reynolds, including the Netflix docuseries Welcome to Wrexham.

In 2021, Ryan Reynolds decided to back Wealthsimple, a Canadian online investment service, alongside popular rapper Drake. Although the exact amount of his investment is unknown, multiple news portals reported that the company raised $5 billion after Reynolds chipped in.

Ryan Reynolds' next investment was in the popular Canadian password management platform, 1Password, which also joined Wrexham as a sponsor later. Alongside Reynolds, celebrities like Robert Downey Jr. and Justin Timberlake also showed interest in the brand in 2022. Now valued at $6.8 billion, 1Password raised $620 million after receiving these funds.

Just a month after selling Mint Mobile in 2023, Ryan Reynolds announced his new investment in the Canadian fintech company Nuvei. The deal netted shareholders $34 per share and valued the company at $6.3 billion. In a statement released by the fintech company, Reynolds stated, “I know as much about fintech as I did about gin or mobile a few years ago,” referring to Aviation Gin and Mint Mobile.

In June 2023, Ryan Reynolds acquired a 24% stake in the Alpine Formula 1 team through Maximum Effort, alongside Otro Capital and RedBird Capital Partners. His Wrexham co-owner Rob McElhenney also joined the Green Lantern actor in this investment.

The Maximum Effort investment alone is rumored to have acquired a share of 2-3%. However, there has not been any confirmation on the exact percentage.

Ryan Reynolds’ Maximum Effort invested in a central Ohio sports apparel company, Homage, in 2024. This brand is also known for producing apparel for Travis and Jason Kelce’s podcast, New Heights. The brand’s sales received a huge boost after Taylor Swift wore a cap, also produced by Homage, that read "New Heights" at the Coachella music festival with her boyfriend.

Inside the Mind of the Marketing Maestro: Ryan Reynolds' Story of Building a 14 Billion-Dollar Business Empire

What do you think about Ryan Reynolds’ business empire? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!