Ratcliffe Boosts Manchester United Stake With $100M Investment

Jim Ratcliffe invested a further $100 million into Manchester United 10 months after his original limited partnership stake was approved, according to a Thursday SEC filing.

The funds increased his stake to 28.94% from 27.7% in the club. It represents the final tranche in the original agreement with the Glazer family to inject $300 million into United toward infrastructure improvements on top of his original $1.3 billion investment for 25% of the team.

The filing also says Ratcliffe transferred his United holdings from Trawlers, the entity Ratcliffe used to buy his stake, to chemical giant INEOS, where Ratcliffe is the CEO and controlling shareholder. The move aligns United with INEOS’ other sports assets. INEOS has already used its vast profits to fund a series of sporting projects in cycling, sailing and soccer.

Ratcliffe is the single largest investor in Manchester United, but the Glazer family, which bought the club in 2005, remains the controlling shareholder. Ratcliffe is the second richest person in the U.K. with a net worth of $13.4 billion, according to Bloomberg.

At $6.2 billion, Manchester United ranked atop Sportico’s May look at the world’s 50 most valuable soccer teams.

Last month, the 20-time English champions reported first quarter revenue of £143 million ($180 million based on current exchange rates), a decline of 8.9% from the prior year. The club eked out a rare net profit of $1.7 million, versus a loss of $32.5 million during the same period in 2023. It was the first time in five years that the publicly traded club turned a profit in a quarter other than the second quarter, which ends each year on Dec. 31.

After 16 games, United sits 13th in the Premier League standings. Last season, the team finished in eighth place, its worst showing since the EPL launched in 1992.