Sir Jim Ratcliffe expresses interest in buying Manchester United - who he is, how he made his money, net worth

Britain’s richest man Sir Jim Ratcliffe has expressed a strong interest in buying a minority stake at Manchester United with the view to taking over the club from the Glazer family down the line, reports The Times.

Ratcliffe’s representatives have emphasised how eager he is to get involved with the Red Devils, with a statement reading: “If the club is for sale, Jim is definitely a potential buyer. If something like this was possible, we would be interested in talking with a view to long-term ownership.

"This is not about the money that has been spent or not spent. Jim is looking at what can be done now and, knowing how important the club is to the city, it feels like the time is right for a reset."

With the club currently in turmoil amid poor results and a disastrous transfer policy, this news will likely be music to the ears of many United fans. But there has already been a setback in the deal, with the Glazer family reportedly unwilling to align with Ratcliffe’s plans.

Nonetheless, the incredibly successful billionaire is still keen to have an involvement which makes this a bit of a wait-and-see.

In the meantime, here is everything you need to know about Sir Jim Ratcliffe, including who he is, his net worth and how he earned his money.

Who is Sir Jim Ratcliffe?

Sir Jim Ratcliffe is a 69-year-old multi-billionaire businessman and chemical engineer from Failsworth, Greater Manchester. He is the chairman and CEO of the Ineos group, a chemical company he founded in 1998.

Since 2017 he has also been the owner of a football club, FC Lausanne-Sport, who compete in the Swiss Super League. His main company, Ineos, took over French Ligue 1 side OGC Nice in 2019 and is a principal partner of Formula One team Mercedes AMG F1.

Ratcliffe supports Manchester United and it is believed this is one of the main reasons behind his desire to purchase stakes in the club.

What is Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s net worth?

Since May 2018, Sir Jim Ratcliffe has been the richest person in the UK, and according to the Forbes 2022 billionaires list, he has a net worth of around £13.48 billion.

How did Sir Jim Ratcliffe make his money?

A lot of his money has come from his hugely successful chemical company Ineos, which was formed in Hampshire. Ratcliffe used high-yield debt to finance deals at first, before buying unwanted operations from the likes of BP and ICI with the view to make significant profits.

Ratcliffe did just that and in 2006, Ineos attained refineries and plants in Canada, Germany, France, Belgium, Italy and Scotland as it bought Innovene, BP’s refining and petrochemical arm.

In 2010, Ineos’ head office moved from Hampshire to Switzerland, saving the company an estimated £100 million a year in tax but Ratcliffe returned to the UK with the chemical firm in 2015 as he opened a headquarters in Knightsbridge, London.

Ineos is now one of the top 10 biggest chemical companies in the world with 51 production facilities across 11 countries, five of which are in the UK. In 2021, Ineos’ revenue was approximately £15.85 billion.