James Ratcliffe

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.