Who is Sir Jim Ratcliffe age, net worth, wife, children, biography, Manchester United bid and latest updates.
Jim Ratcliffe is a prominent British-born business magnate who has made a name for himself as a chemical engineer and industrialist. The world widely recognizes him as one of the most successful and productive business leaders due to his expertise in the chemical industry.
Ratcliffe is the founder, chairman, and CEO of Ineos, a global chemicals company that he established in 1998. The company has a two-thirds ownership that is expected to generate $15 billion in revenue in 2019. This is a testament to his leadership skills and his ability to build and manage a successful business.
His family is a top priority for him, and he is a devoted husband and father alongside his business pursuits. He has maintained a successful marriage for numerous years.
Profile summary/Wiki
Title | Details |
---|---|
Name | James Arthur Ratcliffe |
Age | 70 years old as of 2023 |
Date of birth | 18 October 1952 |
Place of birth | Failsworth, United Kingdom |
Nationality | British |
Spouses | Amanda Townson (m. 1985–1995), Alicia Ratcliffe |
Organization founded | INEOS Group Limited |
Books | The Alchemists: The INEOS Story – An Industrial Giant Comes of Age, The Alchemists: The INEOS Story |
Net worth | $15.3 billion |
Social media | Instagram, Twitter |
Biography of Sir Jim Ratcliffe
Jim Ratcliffe was born on October 18th, 1952 in Failsworth, Greater Manchester in the United Kingdom. He grew up in East Yorkshire after his family relocated when he was eleven years old. Ratcliffe attended Beverley Grammar School and later went on to attend the University of Birmingham, where he graduated in 1974. He furthered his education at the London Business School from 1978 to 1980, where he obtained an MSc in finance.
How old is Jim Ratcliffe?
Jim Ratcliffe was born in 1952, making him 70 years of age as of 2023.
Educational background
There is no information on the internet about the high school Ratcliffe attended. However, he attended the University of Birmingham and graduated in 1974. He later decided to broaden his skills in finance and took MSc in finance at the London Business School in 1978 and graduated in 1980.
Jim Ratcliffe’s Career
Jim Ratcliffe is a prominent British businessman and chemical engineer. He is the founder of Ineos, a multinational chemicals company headquartered in Rolle, Switzerland. Ratcliffe founded Ineos in Hampshire in 1998 with the goal of purchasing Inspec and the freehold of the Antwerp site.
Ratcliffe started buying unneeded activities from organizations like ICI and BP from this tiny foundation, employing high-yield debt to finance purchases and choosing targets based on their ability to increase their earnings over a five-year period. This strategy led to the acquisition of several chemical plants and businesses, including Norsk Hydro’s chemical assets and BP’s Innovene.
In 2010, Ratcliffe relocated Ineos’s headquarters from Hampshire to Rolle, Switzerland, which resulted in a £100 million annual tax savings for the company. Aside from Ineos, Ratcliffe has invested in various companies and industries, such as sports teams and events.
Ratcliffe’s Investments in Sports Teams and Events
In 2017, Ratcliffe acquired ownership of FC Lausanne-Sport, a Swiss Super League soccer team. The following year, he and Ben Ainslie formed Ineos Team UK, which Ratcliffe reportedly invested over £110 million in. In 2021, the team participated in the 36th America’s Cup.
In 2019, Ratcliffe acquired the cycling team Team Sky and renamed it Team Ineos. They won the 2019 Tour de France and 2021 Giro d’Italia with Colombian cyclist Egan Bernal.
Ratcliffe’s Interest in Acquiring Premier League Teams
Sanctions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 forced Roman Abramovich to sell Chelsea F.C. despite the £4.25 billion offer from Ratcliffe being rejected. Ratcliffe continued to hold out hope for a takeover in spite of the denial.
Jim Ratcliffe and Manchester United
In August 2022, Ratcliffe indicated an interest in acquiring Manchester United. He was said to have invested in West Ham United in October 2022.
Prince Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani of Qatar and Sir Jim have proposed to acquire 100% ownership of Manchester United before the informal deadline today.
Sir Jim, who is a successful businessman with a reported net worth of $16.1 billion, had previously acquired Swiss team FC Lausanne-Sport in 2017 and French club Nice for $110 million in 2019. Despite the ongoing interest in the ownership of the club, the current manager, Ten Hag, would prefer fans to focus on the team’s performance on the field.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Prince Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani, and the American hedge firm Elliott Investment reportedly show interest in acquiring the club. The club’s takeover status has received extensive media coverage and public interest.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Personal Life
Who Is Jim Ratcliffe’s Wife, Alicia Ratcliffe?
Alicia Ratcliffe, whose real name is Maria Alessia Maresca, is a tax lawyer from Italy. She keeps a low profile and shares one child, Julia, with her husband Jim Ratcliffe.
Jim Ratcliffe’s First Marriage
Jim Ratcliffe married Amanda Townson in 1975, but they divorced a decade later. He then married Alicia.
Jim Ratcliffe’s Children
Jim Ratcliffe has a total of three children from his two marriages. He has two sons, George and Samuel, from his first marriage to Amanda. George Ratcliffe is the eldest son, while Samuel is the youngest.
George Ratcliffe has followed in his father’s footsteps and is now working in Ineos, the chemical giant founded by his father. He currently serves as the COO of a new healthcare company with a worldwide presence.. Prior to this, he produced millions of bottles of hand sanitizers for the NHS.
Jim Ratcliffe is known to be very close with his sons, and he has been seen attending football matches with them.
What is Jim Ratcliffe’s Net Worth?
As mentioned earlier, Jim Ratcliffe’s net worth is $7.4 billion in 2023. However, his net worth is estimated to be over $15.3 billion when factoring in his company holdings, placing him at number 27 on the list of the world’s wealthiest people.
Jim Ratcliffe’s Art Collection
Jim Ratcliffe has an extensive art collection featuring works by celebrated 20th and 21st-century artists. One of the most significant pieces in Ratcliffe’s collection is a portrait of Winston Churchill by Graham Sutherland.
Ratcliffe is also a significant collector of modern and contemporary art. He owns works by artists such as Andy Warhol, Jeff Koons, Gerhard Richter, Damien Hirst, and Anish Kapoor. Some of the highlights of his collection include Warhol’s “Mao” and Richter’s “Abstract Painting.”
Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Homes
Jim Ratcliffe is the proud owner of several properties around the world, including a mansion on the shores of Lake Geneva in Hampshire, England. He also owns hotels, such as Le Portetta in Courchevel, France, and Lime Wood in Switzerland.
Ratcliffe is also a keen yachtsman and owns a 260-foot super-yacht called Hampshire II. He has other villas, including one in Monaco and one on Lake Geneva, Switzerland.
Jim Ratcliffe’s Private Aircraft Fleet
Jim Ratcliffe is a billionaire businessman who enjoys the finer things in life, including private jets. His love of aviation reportedly began in 2010 when he purchased his first private jet, a Cessna Citation CJ2+. Since then, he’s acquired several other aircraft, including a Gulfstream G650ER and a Dassault Falcon 2000LX.
The Gulfstream G650ER is one of the market’s most advanced and luxurious private jets. It can fly non-stop for over 7,500 nautical miles and reach a top speed of Mach 0.925 (approximately 704 miles per hour). This private jet is ideal for long-distance travel, making it a popular choice for businesspeople and celebrities.
The Dassault Falcon 2000LX is another high-performance business jet that’s capable of flying non-stop for up to 4,000 nautical miles. This aircraft is often used for executive travel, allowing business leaders to travel comfortably and efficiently.
In addition to his private jets, Ratcliffe also reportedly owns a Eurocopter AS355 Twin Squirrel helicopter. People often use this plane for short trips and to get to remote locations.
Jim Ratcliffe’s Interest in Aviation
Jim Ratcliffe’s love of aviation is evident in his impressive private aircraft fleet. He reportedly enjoys flying his private jets and helicopters, and his interest in aviation has only grown over the years.
In addition to owning private jets, Ratcliffe has also expressed interest in the aviation industry as a whole. In 2019, he announced plans to build a new aircraft called Project 12. This aircraft achieves maximum efficiency in fuel consumption and reduces carbon emissions using cutting-edge technology.
Ratcliffe’s interest in aviation isn’t limited to his personal life. In 2019, Ineos Aviation announced plans to expand its operations by investing in new aviation fuel facilities. This investment is part of Ineos’s wider commitment to reducing carbon emissions and promoting sustainable aviation.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s autobiography
Jim Ratcliffe, the founder of Ineos, has not yet published an autobiography. However, there have been several biographies and profiles written about him that provide a glimpse into his life and career.
James Ashton published “Jim Ratcliffe: The Billionaire Who Came From Nowhere” in 2018, a notable biography about Ratcliffe. The book tells the story of Ratcliffe’s rise from his modest beginnings in Manchester to become one of the most influential and wealthy businesspeople in the world. The biography delves into his early life, education, and his early career in the chemical industry. It also covers the founding of Ineos and Ratcliffe’s later business ventures.
Another prominent book featuring Ratcliffe is “Billion Dollar Whale: The Man Who Fooled Wall Street, Hollywood, and the World” by Tom Wright and Bradley Hope. The book primarily focuses on the financial scandals surrounding the Malaysian government’s investment fund. The book mentions Ratcliffe as one of the investors in the fund, although no one has accused him of any wrongdoing.