Find out who owns Manchester United FC. Owner's net worth, source of wealth, and history.
Manchester United is one of the biggest football clubs and most successful teams in the world, having won every major football trophy throughout its history.
United currently holds the most wins in the English Premier League era with over 13 titles and 20 in overall top-flight victories.
That said, United has gone through a series of ownership changes throughout its history, with the most recent changes in the team attracting other potential investors.
Through its owners, the club has continued to spend heavily in the transfer market and has many high-profile players in its first team. Most importantly, United is considered a global brand with an estimated valuation of $6.55B, according to Forbes.
Who owns Manchester United FC?
As of January 2025, Manchester United FC is owned by the Glazer family as majority owners, with the remaining shares belonging to Trawlers, Ltd., owned by Jim Ratcliffe.
List of Manchester United owners in a nutshell
Glazer family (72.3%, Manchester United FC plc)
Sir Jim Ratcliffe (27.7% Trawlers, Ltd)
The Manchester United ownership structure explained
The Glazer family: net worth and source of wealth
The Glazer family is the majority shareholder of Manchester United FC. Malcolm Glazer was the majority shareholder before it was transferred to his family following his passing.
Malcolm Glazer's stake was announced in September 2003, then as a minority shareholder. He later went on to acquire more shares that eventually increased his previous stake from 3.17% to 15% in the same year.
Glazer continued with the acquisition of more shares of the club and successfully increased his stake to 57% by 2005 after acquiring around 28.7% stakes that were owned by John Magnier and J. P. McManus..
Before the end of that year, Glazer's share increased to 75% and rose to 98% with an overall purchase price amount to £800 million at the end of the purchase series.
The Glazer family sold around 27.7% of the club's shares to new investors, Trawlers Ltd., which is owned by English businessman Jim Ratcliffe, in February 2024.
The key figures from the Glazer family in the day-to-day running of Manchester United are Joel Glazer and Avram Glazer.
Other members of the family, including Bryan and Ed Glazer, are involved in other family businesses, including the Tampa Bay Buccaneers NFL franchise.
Net worth, source of wealth, and how they make their money
According to figures from Forbes, the Glazer family has an estimated net worth of $10B, and they are regarded as one of the richest families in America.
They own some of the biggest holding companies in industries such as real estate, shopping malls, and sports franchises in America, which are as follows:
First Allied Corporation
The Glazer family owns The First Allied Corporation, a real estate company with operations including ownership and renting of shopping malls across the United States.
FIC was founded in 1984 by Malcolm Glazer and is currently in the hands of the family. The company has its headquarters in Rochester, New York.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (NFL)
The Glazer family are the majority shareholders of the NFL franchise team the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It was the first investment in sports by Malcolm Glazer.
Malcolm Glazer purchased the NFL franchise for $192 million from its previous owners, Hugh Culverhouse. He then served as president while his sons (Bryan, Joel, and Edward) were co-chairmen.
Following the takeover, there were significant investments in the team, from signing new players to other infrastructure development, which aided the team's success in the early years following the takeover.
Under the ownership of the Glazer family, the Buccaneers have made around seven NFL playoff appearances, winning the Super Bowl XXXVII and Super Bowl LV.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are also successful at the divisional and conference levels with several titles. They are currently one of the most consistent teams in the NFL playoffs.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe
Sir James Ratcliffe is a British businessman and chemical engineer who is the founder of the INEOS chemicals group.
He is the minority shareholder of Manchester United following the purchase of 27.7% of the shares of the club through his company, Trawlers Ltd.
Net worth
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has an estimated net worth of around $15.9B, according to figures from Forbes Magazine.
Source of wealth
The British businessman owns major businesses across the world worth billions of dollars, especially in the exploration of the oil and natural gas industry. He is also the owner of some European football teams, including United and OGC Nice.
INEOS
Sir Jim Ratcliffe is the majority owner of the chemical powerhouse Ineos Group, which was founded in 1998. The company produces synthetic oils and plastics for solvents.
The company has gone on to acquire other multinational oil and gas companies to increase its reach with the most recent investment in 2023, an onshore oil and gas asset from Chesapeake Energy in the United States.
Lausanne-Sport
He purchased Swiss club Lausanne-Sport in 2017 through his company INEOS Group. The club plays in the Swiss Super League, which is the country's top-tier competition.
OGC Nice
Sir Jim Ratcliffe purchased another football club, OGC Nice, in France through INEOS in 2019.
Team INEOS (Formerly Team Sky)
He purchased the Team Sky cycling team and rebranded it as Team INEOS.
He has also sponsored other sporting events, including Mercedes AMG F1 and New Zealand Rugby.
How Manchester United has fared under the ownership of the Glazer family
Since the Glazer family took over the club as majority shareholder, United has won a significant number of trophies since 2003.
The club has won over six English Premier League titles, three FA Cup titles, five EFL Cups, seven FA Community Shields, the UEFA Champions League, the Europa League, and the FIFA Club World Cup.
The Glazer family and Sir Jim Ratcliffe era
Manchester United, under its new investor, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, successfully won the FA Cup even though the British businessman was announced as the new investor after more than half of the season had already been played.
However, the club has made some important changes in the team, including the appointment of a new manager and some changes in other areas of the club.
There are also rumoured plans for the stadium infrastructure as well as other investments that would increase the productivity of the team.
When was Manchester United founded? History
The club was founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, but its name changed to Manchester United in 1902.
Club Stadium
Manchester United plays its home games at Old Trafford stadium, which is the largest stadium in the Premier League with a seating capacity of 74,310.
Trophies and Achievements
Manchester United is one of the most successful teams in world football when it comes to trophies. The club has won every major domestic and international trophy.
United has over 20 league titles throughout its history, especially in the Premier League era. The club also has 13 FA Cups, 6 League Cups, 21 Community/Charity Shields, 3 Champions Leagues, one Europa League, the UEFA Super Cup, and the FIFA Club World Cup.