Sheikh Jassim's net worth confusion laid bare after Sir Jim Ratcliffe wealth surge

Manchester United bidder Sir Jim Ratcliffe has seen a surge in his net worth amid uncertainty regarding Sheikh Jassim’s wealth.

Ineos owner Ratcliffe has been locked in a fierce takeover battle with Sheikh Jassim for months, with the former having offered to buy a majority stake in the Old Trafford club.

On Tuesday morning Sheikh Jassim submitted an increased fourth bid to buy a 100 per cent stake in United, believed to be close to £5billion

The third and final round of bidding concluded on April 28, but Sheikh Jassim was incentivised to move again after reports claimed Ratcliffe’s revised offer had put him in pole position to acquire United.

Indeed, according to Sky Sports, the Qatari believes his bid is very competitive and brings huge benefits to United, including clearing nearly £1billion worth of club debt and a separate fund to redevelop Old Trafford.

Ratcliffe’s net worth surge

While Ratcliffe waits on the Glazers to decide on their preferred bidder, his wealth has surged by over £23billion.

The boss of chemicals giant Ineos is now Britain’s second richest man, with a net worth of £29.688billion, according to the latest edition of The Sunday Times Rich List.

Ratcliffe is now estimated to be the biggest private energy operator in the North Sea, only three decades after mortgaging his house for £140,000 to do his first big deal.

Indeed, when energy prices rocketed at the start of the war in Ukraine, Ineos grew exponentially.

Ratcliffe’s surge in wealth comes after claims by the likes of ITV that Sheikh Jassim’s net worth is thought to be around £1-1.5 billion. Though there is a lack of clarity as to how much the Qatari is worth.

Sheikh Jassim’s father, Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber al-Thani, who is the former Qatar prime minister, has a net worth of $1.2billion (£960million), according to Forbes.

Meanwhile, his family are believed to have a collective worth of circa £275billion.

Sheikh Jassim’s team has been keen to stress that his bid is non-related to the Qatari government and the state.

Instead, his bid is via the Nine Two foundation, which has been named after United’s famous Class of 92, which included David Beckham, the Neville brothers, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs.

Topics: Football, Manchester United, Premier League, Qatar

Chris Byfield

Sport journalist with experience writing on football, rugby, boxing and the Olympics. I'm also a Crystal Palace fan. Please don't hold this against me.