The 'SmartLess' Podcast Started Its Own Mobile Phone Company — Can the Boys Afford This?

There is something so magical about listening to good friends hang out, and give each other crap. If you've never popped the SmartLess podcast on, then you're missing out on the kind of good-natured mocking that comes when three old pals hang out. It's hosted by actors Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, and Sean Hayes, and features a rotating cast of inside jokes that the audience is now in on. They also get incredible guests like Maya Rudolph, Paul McCartney, and even America's dad: Tom Hanks.

The premise of the show is simple yet brilliant. One of the hosts books the guest and leaves the other two in the dark. It always begins with about ten minutes of banter followed by a dramatic reveal of the guest. Speaking of surprises, the SmartLess boys have decided to dip their toes in the tech world with a brand-new mobile phone company. That sounds like an expensive endeavor. Let's take a look at the hosts' net worths.

Let's start with Jason Bateman, who grew up in the entertainment world. According to Celebrity Net Worth, he's packing a cool $50 million. Jason got his start in 1980 at the age of 11 in a Golden Grahams commercial. Two years later. he had a small part on Little House on the Prairie. His television career took off and was quickly followed by films like Teen Wolf Too.

Unfortunately his struggles with addiction sidelined things until the early 2000s when he successfully returned to movies, then TV with Arrested Development. He directed several episodes of his show The Hogan Family in the 1980s, which gave way to more established gigs like Ozark.

Will didn't crack the Hollywood code until he was in his mid-twenties, but it began with a couple of failed pilots. Like Jason, he struggled with addiction but was able to get sober in 2000.

Also like Jason, Will has a net worth of $50 million, per Celebrity Net Worth. He did not reach mainstream success until 2003 with Arrested Development, which is where he and Jason met. Although Will has had roles in some deeply funny films, his real talents like in his gravelly voice. It has earned him roles as the voice of Lego Batman and if you've ever caught a commercial for GMC trucks, you probably heard Will. Honestly, he was built for podcasting.

We're having trouble believing Sean Hayes is only worth $30 million, mostly because he spent 11 seasons on Will & Grace. The show originally ran from 1998 until 2006, when actors were still making bank in the sitcom world. Similar to his co-hosts and friends, Sean had bit parts in movies and television shows but it feels like his heart always belonged to the stage. In 2022 he won a Tony for his role as Oscar Levant in Good Night, Oscar.

It's wild to think that SmartLess launched in July 2020. The trio of gregarious best friends has done a lot since its humble beginnings. According to CNN, the fellas struck a $100 million deal with Sirius XM in January 2024. This came three years after Amazon snatched up exclusive rights for a mysterious amount that fell between $60 million and $80 million. It sounds like they are not so smartless after all.

The buck doesn't stop with a new home for the podcast. In June 2025, the SmartLess boys announced they were starting a phone company aptly called SmartLess Mobile, per CBS News. An announcement promises that this direct-to-consumer wireless service will be "data-sane and refreshingly BS-free." The most you'll pay is $30 a month and that will never change. You can sign up right now on their website.