Ryan Reynolds’ superb web price after divorce from actress spouse as Wrexham miss payday

Ryan Reynolds’ Wrexham have missed out on a place in the Championship play-offs – and a path to the Premier League that could have delivered a huge windfall – but he won’t be short of a few quid

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Ryan Reynolds has missed out on a huge financial bonanza, but the Hollywood A-lister won’t be short of a few quid.

Wrexham’s incredible ascent from non-league to the brink of the Premier League ended in heartbreak, as the Welsh outfit, jointly owned by Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, entered the Championship’s final day sitting sixth, aware that triumph could seal a play-off berth.

Wrexham were tied on points with Hull City and just one ahead of Derby County, leaving no margin for error when they welcomed Middlesbrough, who had already guaranteed their own play-off position. This achievement came with a staggering financial carrot, but the Red Dragons’ could only draw 2-2 with Boro, while Hull beat Norwich City 2-1 at home to clinch sixth.

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£100m prize pot within reach

If Wrexham had secured promotion via the play-offs to the Premier League, they would have unleashed a financial bonanza worth no less than £100million in their maiden campaign alone, reports the Mirror.

That figure is fuelled primarily by the Premier League’s worldwide broadcasting agreements, with clubs receiving massive central payments simply for competing in the top flight.

Across a three-year span, including parachute payments should they face relegation, the overall value of promotion is commonly estimated at £170m or beyond, with commercial income, sponsorship deals and international exposure pushing that sum even higher.

For Reynolds and McElhenney, it would have represented a colossal return on their investment – and another chapter in one of football’s most extraordinary stories.

Since acquiring Wrexham in 2021 for £2m, the Hollywood pair have overseen a spectacular ascent. Three successive promotions have propelled the club from non-league into the Championship, and they stood on the brink of reaching the biggest league in world football in just five seasons – only to fall short.

The club is now reportedly worth approximately £350m, a staggering rise fuelled by on-field triumph and the global spotlight generated by the documentary series Welcome to Wrexham.

Staggering wealth

Reynolds is believed to be worth roughly $400m (£295m), securing his status as one of Hollywood’s highest earners.

According to Forbes, the Canadian actor ranked as the second best-paid star in 2024, pocketing around £79m and sitting behind only Dwayne Johnson in the earnings table.

Much of that revenue has come from blockbuster projects, including box office hit Deadpool and Wolverine, alongside family film IF and the Emmy-winning documentary series Welcome to Wrexham.

Reynolds has also enhanced his wealth through clever business deals. He owned up to a 20% stake in Aviation Gin before its sale in a $600m (£443m) deal in 2020.

Another payday arrived in 2023 when he sold a significant share in Mint Mobile to T-Mobile as part of a $1.35billion (£997m) arrangement, reportedly netting him more than $300m (£220m).

Beyond Hollywood, Reynolds has pumped substantial sums into Wrexham AFC, with he and co-owner Rob McElhenney thought to have ploughed over £20m into the club since their 2020 takeover.

However, the venture hasn’t been without its financial challenges. During a 2023 episode of Welcome to Wrexham, the duo disclosed losses of approximately $12m (£8.9m), leading Reynolds to quip: “I’m going to throw up.”

More recently, the club has landed a massive financial boost of nearly £50m through investment from Apollo Sports Capital, after the Allyn family purchased a stake of around 15% in 2024. Having been snapped up for merely £2m five years ago, Wrexham’s valuation is now believed to have soared to almost £350m.

Life with famous wife after Hollywood divorce

Reynolds has been wed to Gossip Girl star Blake Lively since 2012, with the duo initially meeting on the set of Green Lantern.

Their relationship swiftly grabbed public interest and the couple became one of Hollywood’s most high-profile pairs, tying the knot in an intimate ceremony in South Carolina before welcoming four children together – James, Inez, Betty and Olin.

Lively has regularly been seen in north Wales supporting Wrexham AFC at the Racecourse Ground and shared an emotional tribute following the club’s Championship promotion.

“Back to back to back,” she wrote on Instagram. “History was made. Congratulations to @wrexham_afc. I will never forget the love and elation in that town today. Thank you for sharing it with us always.

“And to these two men, @robmcelhenney and @vancityreynolds … the love and respect that pours out of you each and together exponentially grows and creates more joy, more possibilities, more magic, more history.

“This picture feels to me like a painting of all you do for so many, while being so present and appreciative of every moment.”

Before his romance with Lively, Reynolds had experienced a series of high-profile relationships. He was engaged to fellow Canadian Alanis Morissette after the couple met in 2002, though they parted ways in 2007, subsequently maintaining an amicable relationship.

He was also connected romantically with numerous A-listers, including some of Hollywood’s most beautiful women including Sandra Bullock and Charlize Theron, before marrying Lost in Translation star and Avengers hero Scarlett Johansson in 2008.

That union ended in 2010, with both parties blaming demanding work commitments and limited time together as the key factors behind their separation.

“We work and then go home,” Johansson later revealed. “I’d just stare at the wall for a few hours before I got to sleep.”

How did Ryan Reynolds meet Rob McElhenney?

Despite having presided over one of football’s most remarkable tales together, Reynolds and McElhenney scarcely knew one another when they initially embarked on purchasing Wrexham, having shared merely a few messages online.

In reality, the concept didn’t stem from Reynolds at all. It was McElhenney who drove the initiative after joining forces with British writer and football fanatic Humphrey Ker, who opened his eyes to the prospect of club ownership.

Despite not being a football devotee initially, McElhenney found himself captivated by Ker’s devotion to Liverpool FC, and during coronavirus restrictions was urged to view the Netflix series Sunderland ‘Til I Die.

The programme proved a turning point, igniting the It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia actor’s ambition to pursue club ownership and even chronicle the journey himself.

After setting a spending limit, Ker assisted in pinpointing appropriate clubs, with Wrexham emerging as a compelling option due to its storied past, devoted supporters and requirement for new investment following the pandemic.

McElhenney subsequently contacted Reynolds – having previously established an online connection – in a bid to bring both financial clout and star power to the project. Reynolds welcomed the proposition, opting not merely to invest but to come aboard as a complete co-owner with McElhenney.

In November 2020, the duo finalised a £2 million buyout, and although they didn’t meet face-to-face until April 2021, they have subsequently forged a strong bond.

McElhenney later revealed to People that Reynolds has become one of his closest mates, describing him as a “kind and generous soul” and someone he can always count on. He added: “Our families have grown incredibly close, and even though we live on opposite coasts, we feel like we’re right next to each other.”