Ryan Reynolds almost 'threw up' after discovering how much money they'd lost since Wrexham takeover

Ryan Reynolds was on the verge of 'throwing up' after discovering the amount he and fellow co-owner Rob McElhenney had lost since their takeover of Wrexham.

Hollywood actors Reynolds and McElhenney completed their much-anticipated purchase of Wrexham on February 9, 2021, after taking 100 per cent control from the Wrexham Supporters Trust (WST).

Both men initially pledged to invest £2 million into the then-National League side but since, the pair are said to have stumped up a further £10 million, according to the Daily Mail.

Some of those funds were used to repurchase the freehold of the club’s Racecourse Ground, while another £1.2 million was invested in shares.

So how many have they made so far? Well, despite achieving promotion to League Two last season, it appears the pair have lost £10 million in their bid to guide Wrexham up the football pyramid, according to The Sun.

On a recent episode of Welcome To Wrexham – a docuseries chronicling the purchase and stewardship of the club – both Reynolds and McElhenney are seen discussing Wrexham's finances alongside advisor, Shaun Harvey.

After being told the amount they had lost since their takeover, Reynolds responds by saying, "I'm going to throw up."

McElhenney, shocked by the amount quoted, soon asks when the two can start expecting to make money from the club.

"The value that's coming from the global appeal we've been able to create is going to offset those additional costs that we've created," Harvey said.

"The biggest thing that will change on promotion [is that] people can see the value of Welcome to Wrexham. They can see the value of the profile that's being built. That's when the additional sponsorship revenue can be generated."

Harvey also points out that Reynolds and McElhenney would be able to sell the Welsh club for a much higher fee than the £10 million spent.

Image credit: Getty

Speaking in an episode of Welcome to Wrexham last year, McElhenney told Reynolds they could lose £1 million if they didn't achieve promotion.

Reynolds appeared taken aback by McElhenney’s claim and admitted that it was “scary as f**k” to learn, despite trying to keep himself composed.

Wrexham went on to achieve promotion to England's fourth tier and after an impressive start to the 2023/24 campaign, Phil Parkinson's side currently sit third in League Two with 30 points from 16 games.

SPORTbible are on WhatsApp! We've launched a dedicated news channel to send you the latest news, features and plenty more directly on WhatsApp and all you need to do to sign up is click through to our one-way broadcast channel here for 'SPORTbible News' to appear in the 'Updates' tab on your WhatsApp.

Topics: Wrexham, League Two, Ryan Reynolds, Rob McElhenney

Jack Kenmare

Senior Journalist at SPORTbible with a passion for long-form journalism. Almost 10 years’ experience across online and print.

@jackkenmare_