Jim Ratcliffe

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Jim Ratcliffe (born 1953), a chemical engineer turned financier and industrialist, is the 25th richest person in the United Kingdom^[1], according to the 2008 Sunday Times Rich List.

Ratcliffe is the chairman and chief executive officer of the Ineos chemicals group, of which he owns two-thirds, and which has been estimated to have a turnover of $45bn. He does not have a high public profile, and has been described by the Sunday Times as "publicity shy".

Using high-yield debt to finance his deals, Ratcliffe started buying unwanted operations from groups such as ICI and BP, selecting targets based on their potential to double their earnings over a 5-year period. In 2006 Ineos bought BP's refining and petrochemical arm, which brought the Grangemouth refinery into Ineos' control.