Biography & Career Of Sir Jim Ratcliffe

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Biography & Career Of Sir Jim Ratcliffe

Jim Ratcliffe is a prominent British-born business magnate who has made a name for himself as a chemical engineer and industrialist. He is widely recognized as one of the most successful and productive business leaders in the world, thanks to his expertise in the chemical industry.

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. In addition to Ineos, Ratcliffe has invested in a wide range of companies and industries, including 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. The team competed in the 36th America’s Cup in 2021.

In 2019, Ratcliffe acquired the cycling team Team Sky and renamed it Team Ineos. With the Colombian rider Egan Bernal, they subsequently won the 2019 Tour de France and the 2021 Giro d’Italia.

Ratcliffe’s Interest in Acquiring Premier League Teams

Roman Abramovich, the longtime owner of Premier League team Chelsea F.C., was compelled to put the club up for sale as a result of sanctions when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. Ratcliffe attempted to purchase the team for £4.25 billion, but his offer was turned down. 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.

A proposal has been officially made for Sir Jim to acquire the entire 100% ownership of Manchester United. This proposal was put forth by Prince Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani of Qatar and Sir Jim himself, who have both submitted bids for the Premier League team 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.

In addition to Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Prince Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani, another potential contender for ownership is the American hedge firm Elliott Investment, which is also reportedly interested in acquiring the club. The status of the club’s takeover has been a hot topic in the news and has garnered significant attention from fans and the public alike.

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 got married to Jim Ratcliffe, and the couple had one child together, Julia. Not much is known about her life outside of her marriage to Jim, as she has largely stayed out of the public eye.

Jim Ratcliffe’s First Marriage

Before getting married to Alicia, Jim Ratcliffe was married to Amanda Townson. Amanda was his first wife, and the couple got married in 1985. However, their marriage did not last long, and they divorced in 1985 after being married for a decade.

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 is currently the chief operating officer of a new global healthcare business after producing millions of bottles of hand sanitizers for 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, this figure doesn’t take into account his company holdings, which are estimated to be worth more than $8 billion. When factoring in his company holdings, Ratcliffe’s net worth is estimated to be over $15.3 billion, placing him at number 27 on the list of the world’s wealthiest people.

Jim Ratcliffe’s Art Collection

Jim Ratcliffe is also known for his extensive art collection, which includes works by some of the most celebrated artists of the 20th and 21st centuries. 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. This aircraft is often used for short trips and transportation 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 is designed to be the most efficient in its class, using cutting-edge technology to reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions.

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.

One notable biography about Ratcliffe is “Jim Ratcliffe: The Billionaire Who Came From Nowhere” by James Ashton, which was published in 2018. 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. This book is primarily focused on the financial scandals surrounding the Malaysian government’s 1MDB investment fund, which allegedly involved money laundering and embezzlement. Ratcliffe is mentioned in the book as one of the businesspeople who invested in the fund, although he has not been accused of any wrongdoing.