JIM Ratcliffe is the founder of the fourth largest chemical company in the world: Ineos.
The investor, known for his huge stake in Manchester United, made headlines when he appeared on a prestigious 2025 rich list.
Becoming a billionaire
Jim came from very humble beginnings and was brought up in a council house near Manchester.
Born on October 18, 1952, he was raised by his mum, an office manager, and his dad who was a joiner.
Ratcliffe’s first job was with oil giant Esso but he later went on to study for an MBA at London Business School.
In 1989, he joined US private equity group Advent International which kickstarted his career in business.
Jim founded Ineos from a small base in Hampshire in 1998.
Using high-yield debt to fund deals, he started buying unwanted operations from groups such as energy giant BP, picking targets based on their potential to double their earnings over a five year period.
In 2006, Ineos bought BP’s refining and petrochemical arm Innovene, giving Ineos refineries and plants in Scotland, Italy, Germany, France, Belgium and Canada.
Then, in April 2010, Ratcliffe relocated Ineos’ head office to Rolle in Switzerland, cutting the company’s tax bill by £100million per year.
Ineos products are used every day to clean water, make toothpaste, manufacture antibiotics, insulate homes and package food.
Landing on the rich list
The CEO’s huge wealth landed him on a prestigious 2025 rich list.
However, he dropped down to seventh place after reportedly losing £6.5 billion.
The businessman was ranked at 7th place on the list and has a net worth of £17 billion.
In February 2024, he became a minority shareholder in his favourite football team: Manchester United.
Since taking over the club, there has been a wave of redundancies at Manchester United and a new stadium will be built for the team.
However, the stadium will reportedly cost a staggering £2 billion.
The CEO’s family life
Jim has two sons, named George and Samuel, with his first wife Amanda Townson.
He split with Amanda in 1995 after being married to her for ten years.
The billionaire went on to welcome a daughter, Julia, with his second wife, Italian tax lawyer Maria Alessia Maresca.
Jim reportedly tied the knot with Alicia in the late 1990s, before the pair split just a few years later.
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