Just under three and a half years after Ryan Reynolds bought into Mint Mobile and became the public face of the provider, the Deadpool star is set to make a windfall from his investment. T-Mobile has announced an agreement to buy Mint Mobile’s parent company Ka’ena for as much as $1.35 billion in cash and stock.
The final price will depend on Ka’ena’s performance for a certain period before and after the deal closes, which is expected to happen later this year. Ka’ena also owns Ultra Mobile, a provider focused on international calling, and wholesaler Plum.
Reynolds is believed to own between 20 and 25 percent of Mint, according to a 2021 report by The New York Post. He’ll stay on in his creative role as Mint spokesman. Mint was founded in 2015 and spun out from Ultra in late 2019.
Mint, which has run on T-Mobile since its inception as a mobile virtual network operator, found success thanks to its charismatic pitch man and budget-conscious pricing. T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert confirmed in a YouTube video regarding the news that Mint will keep its $15 per month pricing.