T-Mobile has entered into an agreement to acquire the parent company of Mint Mobile, a direct-to-consumer prepaid wireless company partially owned by actor Ryan Reynolds.
"We are so happy T-Mobile beat out an aggressive last-minute bid from my mom Tammy Reynolds as we believe the excellence of their 5G network will provide a better strategic fit than my mom's slightly-above-average mahjong skills," Reynolds joked.
Mint operated on T-Mobile's 5G network prior to the deal, but now the larger mobile provider will take over Mint's sales, marketing, digital, and service operations with the goal of using its bigger scale to offer more competitive prices.
"Mint has built an incredibly successful digital direct-to-consumer business that continues to deliver for customers on the Un-carrier's leading 5G network and now we are excited to use our scale and owners' economics to help supercharge it — and Ultra Mobile — into the future," said Mike Sievert, CEO of T-Mobile, in a press release.
T-Mobile will also acquire Ultra Mobile and the wholesaler Plum as part of its $1.35 billion purchase of parent company Ka'ena Corporation.
"Over the long-term, we'll also benefit from applying the marketing formula Mint has become famous for across more parts of T-Mobile," Sievert said. "We think customers are really going to win with a more competitive and expansive Mint and Ultra."
President Donald Trump is talking up a joint venture investing up to $500 billion for infrastructure tied to artificial intelligence by a new partnership formed by OpenAI, Oracle and SoftBank. The new entity, Stargate, will start building out data centers and the electricity generation needed for the further development of the fast-evolving AI in Texas, according to the White House. The initial investment is expected to be $100 billion and could reach five times that sum. While Trump has seized on similar announcements to show that his presidency is boosting the economy, there were already expectations of a massive buildout of data centers and electricity plants needed for the development of AI.
Chris Ruder, Spikeball Founder and CEO, explains how he and his friends put roundnet on the global map, plus, how Spikeball helps people "find their circle."
J.W. Roth, CEO of Venu Holding Corporation, discusses the company's IPO and plans to redefine live music entertainment with their fan founded, fan-owned model.
Variety's Clayton Davis discusses why more than just the 1% are struggling after the LA fires. Plus, how awards shows will pivot to help victims. Watch!
Emily Hosie, CEO of Rebelstork, explains the concept of Returns Recommerce, plus how her company raised $18M to address the industry-wide issue of returns.
