MANCHESTER WORLD
Potential Manchester United buyer Sir Jim Ratcliffe will receive a presentation on the sale process at Old Trafford on Friday.
Sir Jim is known as the richest man in the UK and is one of the two frontrunners launching bids to buy the prestigious club from The Glazers – his competition comes from Qatari Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani.
United staff have been detailing the purchase process to prospective buyers over the past week. Sheikh Jassim and representatives are due at Old Trafford on Thursday before Sir Jim arrives on Friday.
The BBC reports that these meetings are normally attended by the legal and financial teams of buyers but it is normal practice that Sir Jim would also be present and he does intend to be.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe to fly to Old Trafford from Nice
The billionaire is expected to be at Nice’s Europa Conference League last-16 meeting with Sheriff Tiraspol on Thursday night.Sir Jim owns the French side who are bidding to reach the quarter-finals of a European competition for the first time since 1960. He will travel back to the UK following the match.
Last month, the business tycoon chose to watch the French club play against Monaco instead of travelling to Old Trafford to take in the Carabao Cup final.
Sir Jim is the CEO of the INEOS chemicals group, which he founded in 1998 and is estimated to have a turnover of over £53 billion. Despite his wealth, the businessman is known to keep himself to himself and shy away from unnecessary media attention.
Sir Jim was born in Failsworth, Greater Manchester and began in humble beginnings. His mother was an accounts officer worker and his dad a joiner, who lived with Jim in a council house until he was 10.
He now owns a wealth of properties including a large Hampshire home, a residence in Chelsea and a property in Monaco. He also owns ‘haunted’ London pub The Grenadier, which is frequented by Prince William and Madonna.
