Welcome to Wrexham: how much have Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney spent on club so far, have they lost money?

Welcome to Wrexham returns for a second 15 episode season on Disney+ this week, with club owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney front and centre.

The second season of the documentary follows Wrexham FC through the 2022-23 season, which culminated (spoiler alert) with a Hollywood ending as Wrexham gained promotion to League Two.

Rob and Ryan have helped raise the profile of Wrexham and propel the team back into the EFL, but they have also been met with criticism from some corners of the football community.

Some fans have suggested that the sudden cash injection from the multi-millionaire owners into Wrexham gave the club a huge advantage over their competitors in the National League.

This is everything you need to know about how much Ryan and Rob have spent on Wrexham so far, if their investment has paid off, and how much the owners are worth.

How much have Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney spent on Wrexham FC?

Star pair Ryan and Rob spent £2 million buying Wrexham FC, following a successful vote by the Supporters Trust, in November 2020, but have since splashed much more than that on rebuilding the club.

They signed star players including Ben Foster, Elliot Lee and Paul Mullin, who all commanded higher wages. Whilst the average National League player is paid around £1,000-£1,500 a week, Mullin was taking home £4,500 weekly.

Wrexham’s total wage bill in the first year following the takeover was £2.3million, and is believed to have risen substantially. The Wrexham squad is estimated to be paid almost double that of their League Two competitors for the current season.

Additionally, the new owners decided to buy back the stadium which had been owned by a local university since 2011, the freehold cost the pair £3.67million, nearly twice what they bought the club for.

Overall, Ryan and Rob are estimated to have spent around £10 million following their purchase of Wrexham, but the stars are worth much more than that.

How much are Rob and Ryan worth?

Rob McElhenney is worth around £39 million, most of which comes from his role as Mac in sitcom It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, which he co-created. Some of his wealth also comes from the value of Wrexham which has grown since he purchased it.

Ryan Reynolds is estimated to be worth a staggering £282 million - most of which comes from his major film roles, including the Deadpool movies, Free Guy, and Red Notice. He also makes a lot of money from his business ventures including his Aviation Gin company, which he sold for just under £500 million in 2020. This year he sold Mint Mobile, which he part owned, to T-Mobile for an estimated £1 billion.

How much is Wrexham FC worth now?

Welcome to Wrexham has dramatically raised the profile of the football club, with tourists from around the world visiting the Welsh city, which has in turn stimulated the local economy.

The success of Wrexham FC, with its promotion back into the English Football League has also improved its fortunes. The club has been estimated by Saxo Bank to be worth around £8 million today. That means, that is Rob and Ryan chose to sell the club, they could make four times what they bought it for less than three years ago.

Have Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney lost money on Wrexham FC?

Following the huge financial investment in the club, Wrexham made a roughly £3 million loss last year, despite a £6 million turnover. However, owners Ryan and Rob believe that their spending will pay off in the long run.

McElhenney told S4C: “I don't think we're necessarily concerned with losing money as much as we are concerned with making the club sustainable, that was always our intent”.

Additionally, with the growth in the club’s value and the money the owners received from Disney+ for their documentary - around £9 million for the first two seasons - Rob and Ryan have made around £15 million in potential revenue, against an estimated £10 million in expenditure.