Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively are currently Hollywood's hottest "It" couple. The pair met on the set of the movie Green Lantern in 2010, and their friendship quickly blossomed into romance. They tied the knot in 2012 and have since welcomed four children.

Beyond growing their family, they've also significantly increased their wealth. However, acting is far from their only source of income. Read on to discover the surprising ways Reynolds and Lively make their money.

All dollar amounts in US dollars

Canadian-born Ryan Reynolds is the wealthier of the pair, with an estimated net worth of $350 million (£265m).

Let’s delve into how he built his fortune...

Reynolds launched his acting career while still in high school, landing a starring role in the Canadian teen soap opera Hillside in 1991. Throughout the '90s, he secured various small-screen roles, including The Odyssey, The X-Files, and the made-for-TV movie Sabrina the Teenage Witch.

By the 2000s, Reynolds was scoring major roles in films such as horror remake The Amityville Horror, action thriller Smokin’ Aces, and rom-com The Proposal. These projects firmly established him as a versatile and bankable Hollywood star.

Today, Reynolds is one of the world’s biggest movie stars, largely due to his role as the wisecracking superhero Deadpool. The first Deadpool movie, released in 2016, was a huge hit, grossing over $782 million (£590m) worldwide. The 2018 sequel, Deadpool 2, also performed exceptionally well, earning $735 million (£555m) globally.

Deadpool & Wolverine, the third entry in the franchise, was released in July. At the time of writing, it's banked over $1.1 billion (£830m) at the box office, becoming the second R-rated movie in history to achieve a billion-dollar gross. The first film to accomplish the feat was 2019's Joker.

While the Deadpool franchise is a major success, Reynolds had to fight for nearly a decade to bring his passion project to fruition. He first portrayed the iconic character in 2009's X-Men Origins: Wolverine, but the film's poor reception made studios hesitant to greenlight a standalone Deadpool movie.

Reports suggest that Reynolds was paid around $2 million (£1.5m) upfront for the first Deadpool film. However, Reynolds revealed that he gave his salary to writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick so they could be on set to help get the film off the ground.

Reynolds might have sacrificed his salary for the first Deadpool movie, but he's believed to have earned a base salary of $20 million for the 2018 sequel. When factoring in backend profit deals, he's rumoured to have banked an inflation-adjusted $50 million (£38m) for his efforts. However, this isn't the only instance where Reynolds has commanded a supersized salary.

For Michael Bay’s action-packed blockbuster 6 Underground, released in 2019, he reportedly pocketed $27 million (£21m) upfront for his leading role. 

Despite his stellar movie salaries, a huge chunk of Reynolds's fortune comes from his business interests. In 2018, he invested in Aviation American Gin and served as the brand's spokesperson and creative director. Thanks to his endorsement, sales skyrocketed, making Aviation American Gin the second-largest super-premium gin brand in the US.

In 2020, drinks giant Diageo bought the brand in a deal worth up to $610 million (£460m). Reynolds reportedly owned a 20% stake in the brand and likely pocketed around $67 million (£51m) pre-tax upfront from the sale. If the brand meets sales milestones, he could earn an additional $55 million (£42m) in the coming years.

In 2019, Reynolds made another savvy investment when he purchased a minority stake in the wireless carrier Mint Mobile. The move proved highly lucrative when, in 2023, T-Mobile acquired Mint in a deal valued at $1.35 billion (£1bn) in cash and stock.

Reynolds reportedly held a 25% stake in Mint Mobile, meaning he likely earned around $70 million (£53m) in cash after taxes, and around $205 million (£155m) worth of T-Mobile stock.

In a surprising move, Ryan Reynolds and fellow actor Rob McElhenney purchased the Welsh soccer team Wrexham AFC in November 2020 in a deal worth around $2.6 million (£2m).  At the time, the team was languishing in the fifth division of English soccer, four leagues below the Premier League.

While the investment is far from a financial success – the new owners have reportedly lost $13 million (£10m) and counting – the club has triumphed on the pitch. In April 2023, the club was promoted to League Two, marking its return to the English Football League after 15 years. This was followed by promotion to League One in 2024.

Now let's explore how Blake Lively makes her money...

While American actress Blake Lively has a smaller fortune than her husband, it's still impressive. Today, she's worth a cool $30 million (£23m). 

Read on to discover how she makes her money...

Lively made her film debut in 2005 with The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants. However, her role as NYC socialite Serena Van der Woodsen in Gossip Girl catapulted her to stardom.

She starred in the series from 2007 to 2012, earning a cool $60,000 (£45k) per episode at the show's peak.

When Gossip Girl ended, Lively successfully transitioned to the silver screen. Her diverse filmography includes period dramas like The Age of Adaline and Café Society and thriller flicks such as The Shallows and A Simple Favor.

Most recently, Lively made a cameo as Lady Deadpool in Deadpool & Wolverine, where she shared the screen with her husband. She also starred in and executive produced the romance drama It Ends With Us, based on the best-selling book by Colleen Hoover. Released in August, the film has grossed over $180 million (£136m) at the time of writing.

In August, Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively became the first married couple to top the US box office in 34 years. Deadpool & Wolverine held the number one spot at the box office, while It Ends With Us claimed second place following a $50 million (£38m) opening weekend.

Former spouses Demi Moore and Bruce Willis were the last couple to achieve this feat in 1990 with Ghost and Die Hard, respectively.

Blake Lively launched her first business venture in 2014, a digital magazine and eCommerce platform named Preserve. The business sold high-quality handmade products and featured lifestyle content, including recipes and home decor tips.

Unfortunately, the venture struggled to achieve sales, and Lively closed it down in 2015. Despite the setback, Lively has indicated she plans to relaunch the business in the future.

While Lively's first business venture flopped, her recent endeavours have taken off. In 2021, she launched a line of non-alcoholic drink mixers called Betty Buzz. The brand was a hit and in 2023, Lively followed up with Betty Booze, a low-calorie alcoholic cocktail brand inspired by her favourite homemade recipes.

This year, Lively signed a deal with Majestic, the UK's largest specialist wine retailer, making them the exclusive retailer of Betty Buzz and Betty Booze products in the United Kingdom.

In July, Lively unveiled her latest business venture, a haircare brand called Blake Brown. Although the business is still in its early stages, all signs indicate it’s set to be a hit.

Within one week of its launch, the brand generated $16 million (£12m) in media impact value, according to Launchmetrics.

Buoyed by their recent triumphs, Lively and Reynolds are reportedly pursuing several other passion projects which look likely to boost their profiles and bank balance even further.

With some serious box office momentum behind them and an increasing number of successful off-screen ventures, it’s hard to bet against this ambitious couple cementing their place among Hollywood’s elite.

Now discover where Ryan and Blake rank among the richest celebrity couples in the world