Manchester United's woeful season has been nothing short of a disaster but on a personal level for co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, it's been compounded by him losing an eye-watering amount of his total wealth
09:53, 16 May 2025
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 15: Sir Jim Ratcliffe, owner of Ineos and co-owner of Manchester United during the Premier League match between Manchester City FC and Manchester United FC at Etihad Stadium on December 15, 2024 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has seen his total worth plummet(Image: Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA, Getty Images)
Manchester United controversial co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has seen his fortune drop by nearly £6.5billion over the past year.
The British billionaire's colossal loss was the largest among those featured in The Sunday Times Rich List 2025. Ratcliffe, who was fourth on the 2024 list and topped it in 2018, has now slipped to seventh place among Britain's wealthiest individuals, trailing behind the likes of Sir James Dyson and Gopi Hinduja and family, who are at the top of the list.
The INEOS boss, who sealed a deal to buy into United last year and has since launched a swathe of brutal job cuts at Old Trafford, was valued at £23.519billion in the 2024 Rich List. However, that figure has now dropped by £6.473bn to £17.046bn. He has lost almost £3bn more than the second-biggest loser on the top 10 list, Sir Leonard Blavatnik, who saw £3.5bn wiped off his total wealth of £25.725bn.
Despite the financial hit, tax exile Ratcliffe still boasts a substantial net worth. However, given the financial difficulties Manchester United have faced in recent years, this doesn't bode well for fans hoping for a swift return to success under the Failsworth-born businessman.
Since joining the club in February 2024, Ratcliffe has been brutally honest about the grim financial situation he's inherited at Old Trafford.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - MAY 11: Ruben Amorim manager / head coach of Manchester United applauds during the Premier League match between Manchester United FC and West Ham United FC at Old Trafford on May 11, 2025 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images)
Ruben Amorim has been unable to splash the cash at Old Trafford(Image: Catherine Ivill - AMA, Getty Images)
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Despite being one of the top revenue-generating clubs in global football, Manchester United's financial stability was put into question when the 72-year-old dropped a bombshell during an interview with Gary Neville earlier this year.
In a March interview, he revealed that without his £232m injection, United would have run out of money. "Manchester United would have run out of money at the end of this year. November this year, the club runs out of cash," he said
The billionaire, who has conducted a series of controversial cuts at United, shed light on the precarious financial position of the club.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - MAY 14: Bruno Fernandes of Manchester United speaks to his teammates during a training session at Carrington Training Ground on May 14, 2025 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Matt McNulty/Getty Images)
Man Utd could save their season by winning the Europa League(Image: Matt McNulty, Getty Images)
"If you think about Manchester United as a business, it's gone off the rails. It's gone off the rails a long way, really," he asserted.
"If you look at the numbers, the numbers were fairly scary, really. Because they'd sort of lost control, I think, of where the ship was headed. And the costs had got out of control.
"If you think of it in really simple terms, you've got the operating costs, which are all the staff and the fixed costs of running the business. And then you've got all the squad costs, player salaries and player purchases.
"In super-simple terms, the club has been spending more money than it's been earning now for the last seven years, and it ends in a very difficult place."
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Despite a disappointing Premier League campaign that sees United unable to finish higher than 13th, there's still hope to salvage their campaign as they face Tottenham in the Europa League final on Wednesday.
A victory would secure a third consecutive season with silverware and also mark Ruben Amorim's first trophy with the club while potentially boosting their revenue by £100m, thanks to Champions League qualification.