(New York) The parent company of telephone operator Mint Mobile, partly owned by Hollywood celebrity Ryan Reynolds, who regularly promotes it in offbeat advertisements, was acquired by T-Mobile for a sum ranging from up to $1.35 billion.
“I never imagined owning a cell phone company and I certainly never imagined selling it to T-Mobile. Life is strange and I’m incredibly proud and grateful,” Ryan Reynolds tweeted.
The actor, known in particular for his role as the wacky superhero Deadpool, had taken a stake in Mint in 2019 which would amount, according to the Bloomberg agency, to around a quarter of the brand.
Asked by AFP, T-Mobile did not wish to provide information on the amount held by the artist.
The American subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom in fact buys the parent company Ka’ena, which includes the Mint brands, known for its 15 dollars a month subscription, Ultra, which offers an international calling service, and the provider of plum business telephony.
The three brands already operated on the T-Mobile network, which plans to pay out up to $1.35 billion, depending on meeting certain goals, for 39% in cash and 61% in stock.
Mint co-founders David Glickman and Rizwan Kassim to continue managing brands at T-Mobile
Ryan Reynolds will continue to have a “creative role” for Mint.
He often appeared in advertisements for the operator, speaking directly to consumers, sometimes without decoration, occasionally involving his mother or his sister-in-law.
The actor also invested in the gin brand Aviation in 2018, in which he kept a stake after its sale to the British spirits giant Diageo in 2020.
He is also co-owner of Maximum Effort, which produces films, series and commercials, as well as the Welsh soccer club Wrexham.
