What’s the point in being Britain’s richest man if hardly anyone knows about it? Jim Ratcliffe has held this prestigious title for several months, but he’s still less famous than people who have never done anything with their lives, like Adam Woodyatt. Or Matt Jarvis.
Jim Ratcliffe would like to see Matt Jarvis start up a chemical engineering firm and turn it into a multi-billion pound company. That’s what Jim Ratcliffe did, but unlike Matt Jarvis he doesn’t get the adulation of the fans, or women throwing themselves at him in the street, or an England cap. All he gets is money.
And how do you turn money into fame? Simple: you buy a football club. Ideally, Chelsea.
Fifteen years ago, Roman Abramovich was Russia’s Jim Ratcliffe. Now, Jim Ratcliffe wants to be Britain’s Roman Abramovich.
The Mail reports that the 65-year-old boss of multinational petrochemicals giant Ineos – who also happens to be a season ticket holder at Stamford Bridge – has “expressed an interest” in purchasing the Blues.
It has recently been alleged that Abramovich could be prepared to sell the club after getting in a pickle with UK immigration authorities, but the freshly Israelified oligarch is said to have politely “rejected” Ratcliffe’s offer.
And he’s not even a Chelsea fan, by the way. The only reason Ratcliffe has that season ticket is because he’s got a house around the corner from the ground. He actually supports Manchester United. All wrong on so many levels.
But to boost Ratcliffe’s case, he has just received a knighthood in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list. Can’t see Abramovich getting one of those – they won’t even give him a visa.
