Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who is UK’s richest man, owns 1/3rd of the Mercedes F1 team and has been linked with the purchase of Premier League football team Manchester United.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe is the richest person in the UK. He is the founder and CEO of Ineos, a Chemical company which most notably appears on the livery of the Mercedes F1 cars.
INEOS signed a $120 Million agreement with the Brackley-based team in 2020 and owned 33% of the F1 team’s shares. This gives Ratcliffe the same weightage in the company as Team Principal and CEO Toto Wolff, who owns the other 3rd of the team.
It has recently emerged that Ratcliffe has an interest in buying Manchester United. He is a longtime supporter of United.
This comes after United have suffered a horrendous start to their 2022 season. The team have lost both their opening fixtures to minnows Brighton and Brentford.
The club is owned by the Glazer family since 2008. The news comes following rumours that the Glazer family are unhappy with the club’s current situation. They are considering selling a minority stake in Manchester United.
Ratcliffe’s spokesperson had said earlier, “If the club is for sale, Jim is definitely a potential buyer. He’s always said he’s potentially interested in buying United if they were put up for sale and that has now been confirmed.”
Also Read: Toto Wolff claims Ineos deal is game-changer for Mercedes
What are the other investments of the Mercedes owner?
Just like Mercedes in F1, Manchester United are one of the most coveted teams in club football. The team has won the Premier League a record 20 times, 12 FA Cups titles, and the UEFA Champions League 3 times.
But since the retirement of their legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson, the team has slumped in form. United’s owners are looking to sell their stakes.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has invested in F!, cycling and other ventures. But this wouldn’t be the first Football investment for him. He owns 2 football clubs.
In 2017 he purchased FC Lausanne-Sport, a Swiss Super League football club. And in 2018 he completed a $100 Million takeover of French Ligue 1 club OGC Nice.
Ratcliffe was previously interested in buying rival Premier Club Chelsea after previous Russian owner Roman Abramovich was sanctioned by the UK. He submitted a deal worth over $5 Billion, but the deal fell through.
His spokesperson said, “Sir Jim Ratcliffe was trying to buy Chelsea because he’s a Chelsea season ticket holder, but he’s actually from Greater Manchester and grew up being a Manchester United supporter.”
He added, “He tried to buy Chelsea, coming in with a late bid. He said he had the money to be able to do the deal quickly.”
Also Read: LeBron James discusses impact of culture with Manchester United star Marcus Rashford
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton now owns an NFL team
Mercedes F1 driver and 7-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton made news earlier. The Briton joins a has joined a group of investors who have bought a stake in the American Football team Denver Broncos.
The team is owned by the by Walton-Penner family who also owns Walmart. They acquire the NFL team for a record-breaking $4.65 Billion, making it the biggest team purchase in American sporting history.
The team welcomed him with a statement reading, “With over 100 race wins Lewis is considered the most successful F1 driver of all time. His resilient spirit and standard of excellence will be an asset to the ownership group and the Broncos organisation.”
Lewis too has posted several creatives on his social media acknowledging his latest purchase. And with his Team owner looking to buy Manchester United, maybe the F1 driver would try to grab a slice of the pie!
Also Read: Lewis Hamilton joins new ownership of $4.65 Billion NFL team Denver Broncos
