Jim Ratcliffe, head of UK chemical giant Ineos, tops Sunday Times rich list

The founder of a UK chemicals empire spanning 22 countries has jumped to the top of this year’s Sunday Times rich list – the first time he has ever appeared in the rankings. Valued at £21 billion, the 65-year-old chemical engineer and industrialist is the second-richest person ever on the list, only topped by steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal .

‘With the exception of 2008, we’ve been successful every year,’ Ratcliffe said in an interview with the Sunday Times about his gas and petrochemicals company Ineos that brought him his enormous wealth. Although Ratcliffe only founded Ineos in 1998, starting off with a single ethylene oxide facility in Belgium, the company is now one of the largest chemical businesses in the UK.