Chelsea takeover: Who is Sir Jim Ratcliffe? The Ineos billionaire bidding for the Blues
Robin Bairner
- Updated: 29 Apr 2022 18:17 BST
- 3 min read
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has tabled a late £4.25 billion offer to buy Chelsea, the president of Ineos has confirmed.
Chelsea are up for sale after Roman Abramovich’s assets were frozen due to his alleged links with Russian president Vladimir Putin.
He joins three other bidders in the latter stage of the process, with the Raine Group to select a preferred bidder that the UK Government will subsequently grant the relevant licences to.
The Athletic have reported, however, that Todd Boehly's bid to buy Chelsea is the preferred option, although Boehly’s group hasn't entered into an exclusivity agreement yet.
Boehly's bid is believed to be in excess of £4bn, similar to Ratcliffe's offer.
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In a statement published on Friday, it was confirmed: “Sir Jim Ratcliffe, chairman of Ineos, has made a formal bid for Chelsea FC, for £4.25bn. £2.5bn is committed to the Charitable Trust to support victims of the war, with £1.75bn committed to investment directly into the club over the next 10 years.
“This is a British bid, for a British club.
“We believe that a club is bigger than its owners who are temporary custodians of a great tradition. With responsibility to the fans and the community.
We will not move away from the home of Chelsea and risk losing the support of loyal fans
- Ineos statement“That is why we are committing to spending £1.75bn over 10 years that will be for the direct benefit of the club.
“We will invest in Stamford Bridge to make it a world-class stadium, befitting of Chelsea FC.
“This will be organic and ongoing so that we will not move away from the home of Chelsea and risk losing the support of loyal fans.”
What other clubs does Ratcliffe own?
Should Ratcliffe be successful in his bid for Chelsea, he would add to a portfolio of football clubs that is already a couple strong.
The Ineos boss initially invested in Swiss outfit Lausanne in 2017 but that has proven to be an unsuccessful venture, with the club bouncing between the Super League and the second tier.
Subsequently, he bought a controlling stake in Ligue 1 outfit Nice. This has gone more smoothly, with the Allianz Riviera side fighting for Champions League qualification this season, although they have yet to hit such a height.
He has a reported net worth of €21bn but has not poured his wealth into either of these clubs.
Meanwhile, Ratcliffe has previously bid for Chelsea but was unsuccessful in a 2019 takeover attempt.
Read more about: Premier League, Chelsea
