Manchester United bidder Sir Jim Ratcliffe has risen to second on The Sunday Times Rich List with a fortune close to £30billion, the Daily Mail reports.
The chief executive of chemical company INEOS, Ratcliffe, has bid to take over from the Glazer family and remains in the driving seat.
The 70-year-old faces strong competition from Qatari businessman Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani, who submitted a final ‘take it or leave it’ offer to take over Manchester United.
Ratcliffe, who was ranked 27th on the 2022 Sunday Times Rich List, has now risen to second in the 2023 ranking with an estimated wealth of £29.7bn, behind only the Hinduja family.
The compiler of the Rich List, Robert Watts, told PA: ‘This year we have new information about the full scale of INEOS’ profits and that has made us confident that INEOS is now worth at least £40bn.”
‘We have also learned more about the personal assets that Jim has accumulated over the past 25 years.’
Having announced during the World Cup that they were seeking fresh revenue streams, be that an investment in the club or an outright sale, much speculation has surrounded United and the potential next owners.
For months, it has appeared a battle between two candidates – British billionaire Ratcliffe and Qatari former banker Sheikh Jassim.
