Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney are investing in a Formula One team and dipping their toes in yet another sport with unlimited commercial potential.
It’s fair to say Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have caught the sporting bug. The Hollywood A-listers took over Wrexham in 2020 and have overseen a period of incredible growth at the club.
The Welsh team will return to the English Football League for the first time in fifteen years next season, having won the National League with a record points tally back in April.
Wrexham have become a global brand under Rob and Ryan’s ownership, with the popular Disney+ documentary Welcome to Wrexham propelling the club onto a global stage.
Reynolds and McElhenney invest in Alpine
Evidently not just interested in football, it has been revealed that Reynolds and McElhenney are part of an investor group who are taking a 24% equity stake in Formula 1 team Alpine.
The Investor Group is made up of Otro Capital, RedBird Capital Partners and Maximum Effort Investments, who have placed a value of Alpine at around €900m. Alpine’s parent company, Renault, announced the news on Monday.
Ryan Reynolds leads Maximum Effort Investments, with Rob McElhenney and fellow-actor Michael B. Jordan as co-investors.
RedBird is an investor in Fenway Sports Group, the owner of Premier League side Liverpool and the Boston Red Sox baseball team. They also bought AC Milan in August 2022 and have a stake in French side Toulouse.
Alpine boss on working with Reynolds’ investment group
“This association is an important step to enhance our performance at all levels,” said Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi.
“Otro Capital, RedBird Capital Partners and Maximum Effort Investments, as international players with strong track record in the sports industry, will bring their recognised expertise to boost our media and marketing strategy, essential to support our sporting performance over the long term.
“The incremental revenue generated will in turn be reinvested in the team, in order to further accelerate our Mountain Climber plan, aimed at catching up with top teams in terms of state-of-the-art facilities and equipment.”
Alpine finished fourth in the constructors’ championship last season behind Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes. The French outfit are currently fifth in the constructors’ championship, and looking to close the gap on the pack ahead.
Could Wrexham’s owners invest in others sports too?
It’s certainly a fascinating move for Reynolds and McElhenney as they diversify their sporting portfolios. The pair are clearly sporting fanatics and have an ability to tell a story like few others.
It remains to be seen how this impacts Wrexham, if at all. However, with the two on board there may well be an Alpine-style Welcome to Wrexham documentary on the horizon, providing a behind-the-scenes look at the day to day goings on at one of F1’s biggest manufacturers.
With the global popularity of Netflix’s Drive to Survive, it’s not hard to see why Ryan and Rob might want a slice of the action.
This could just be the beginning too. Could we see them invest in other sports too perhaps? Golf, tennis, UFC? Only time will tell but it seems they have no intention of slowing down.