Ratcliffe Increases Manchester United Stake with $100M Investment

Manchester United has seen a significant boost in its ownership stakes with a $100 million investment from U.K. billionaire Jim Ratcliffe. This investment comes after his initial limited partnership stake was approved ten months ago. Now, Ratcliffe owns nearly 29% of the club, up from 27.7%.

The additional funds have been used to further infrastructural improvements within Manchester United, following an original agreement with the Glazer family. This agreement saw Ratcliffe injecting $300 million towards the club’s development, on top of his initial $1.3 billion investment for a 25% stake in the team.

In a recent SEC filing, it was disclosed that Ratcliffe transferred his United holdings from Trawlers, the entity through which he originally bought his stake, to his chemical giant company INEOS. Ratcliffe serves as the CEO and controlling shareholder of INEOS, aligning United with INEOS’ other sports assets. INEOS has a proven track record of using its profits to support sporting projects in various fields such as cycling, sailing, and soccer.

While Ratcliffe is now the largest single investor in Manchester United, the Glazer family, who have been in control of the club since 2005, remain the controlling shareholders. With a reported net worth of $13.4 billion, Ratcliffe holds the title of the second wealthiest person in the U.K.

As of the most recent Sportico report, Manchester United is valued at $6.2 billion, ranking it at the top of the list of the world’s 50 most valuable soccer teams. Despite financial fluctuations, the club recently reported a first-quarter revenue of £143 million ($180 million in current exchange rates), showing signs of improvement with a rare net profit of $1.7 million.

In sporting terms, Manchester United is currently placed 13th in the Premier League standings, following a less than ideal finish of 8th place in the previous season. It’s worth noting that this is the worst showing for the team since the launch of the English Premier League in 1992.