James Ratcliffe

James Ratcliffe

James Ratcliffe (#153)

Global Rank #153
Country Rank #3
Country United Kingdom

James Ratcliffe is listed among the world billionaires tracked by Iconic Billionaires.

  • $ 18 B
  • Chemicals
  • United Kingdom
  • M
  • 73 Years

Snapshot

Quick Facts

Global Rank #153
Country Rank #3
Net Worth $18.1B
Previous Worth $18.1B
Worth Change +$0.0B
Country United Kingdom
Industry Chemicals
Age 73 Years
Gender M
Worth As Of May 3, 2026
Residence London, United Kingdom
Citizenship United Kingdom
World Billionaires List United Kingdom Billionaires Chemicals

Profile Data

Personal Stats

Age 73
Source Of Wealth Chemicals, Self Made
Residence London, United Kingdom
Citizenship United Kingdom
Marital Status Married
Net Worth Change +$0.0B +0.0% from previous worth
Previous Net Worth $18.1B
Current Net Worth $18.1B

Worth as of May 3, 2026

About Me

James Ratcliffe is the founder, chairman and majority owner of chemical powerhouse Ineos Group. The London-based conglomerate produces everything from synthetic oils and plastics to solvents used to make insulin and antibiotics. It's become one of the U.K. shale sector's largest players. Its 600-foot "Dragon Ships" were the first to transport U.S. shale gas into Europe. Ratcliffe, a former chemical engineer, mortgaged his house in 1992 to lead the buyout of a BP chemicals business; 6 years later, he bought a plant from that firm to form Ineos. Ineos acquired two chemicals businesses from BP in 2021 for $5 billion. It formed petrochemical JVs with Sinopec worth more than $7 billion in 2022. In 2023, Ineos acquired $1.4 billion of U.S. onshore oil and gas assets from Chesapeake Energy. Ineos also acquired a stake in British soccer club Manchester United for $1.5 billion.

Achievements

Forbes List Highlights

A snapshot of the list placements and rankings connected to James Ratcliffe.

#153
Billionaires (2026)

Insights

Did You Know?

An adventure seeker, Ratcliffe has made trips to both the North and South poles and went on a month-long motorbike trip in South Africa in 2015.

Ineos owns a third of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team, as well as two smaller soccer clubs in France and Switzerland.

It has also built a successor to Land Rover's discontinued off-roader Defender, the Ineos Grenadier.

Wealth Growth

Net Worth Growth Over Time

Tracking James Ratcliffe's net worth journey over the years, highlighting key growth phases and financial milestones.

Worth Trend Net Worth Growth
Period Change Worth Movement
Current Net Worth: $18.1B (May 3, 2026)

© Iconic Billionaires