- Britain's richest man involved with Red Devils
- Has increased his stake in the club
- Needs help funding ambitious project
Getty/GOALRevealed: Sir Jim Ratcliffe 'raised prospect' of Man Utd 'tempting' Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos to help fund £2 billion Old Trafford rebuild

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Those that sign up for ExpressVPN's most popular plan, the Advance plan, gain access to a high-speed VPN, which offers high-capacity 40Gbps servers in many high-demand locations, with VPN servers in 113 countries worldwide.
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Those that sign up for ExpressVPN's top-tier Express Pro plan gain access to a high-speed VPN, which offers high-capacity 40Gbps servers in many high-demand locations, with VPN servers in 113 countries worldwide.
The VPN can be applied across 14 different devices simultaneously, and offers Advanced Protection that blocks ads, trackers and malicious and adult websites. A dedicated IP is included with the Express Pro plan.
Additionally, ExpressVPN's Advanced plan includes the ExpressMailGuard, which offers an unlimited private email relay plus an unlimited number of shared aliases and 20 custom domains, ExpressKeys, which gives users a password management facility for an unlimited number of passwords plus a 2FA authenticator, and ExpressAI, an AI assistant that offers 500 credits a day, six AI models, a web search facility plus 2GB storage.
There is a 30-day money-back guarantee for new users. The plan is available on a one-month rolling contract, although those that sign up for a 12-month plan (offering one year plus an extra three months) can save around 60%, while those that sign up for a two-year plan (offering two years plus an extra four months) can save 67%. Both longer-term plans include a 3GB holiday.com eSIM that is valid for five days in 150+ destinations.

Basic
Those that sign up for ExpressVPN's entry-level Basic plan gain access to a high-speed VPN, which offers high-capacity 40Gbps servers in many high-demand locations, with VPN servers in 113 countries worldwide.
The VPN can be applied across 10 different devices simultaneously, and offers Lite Protection that blocks ads and malicious and adult websites. A dedicated IP is available to be purchased as an add-on.
Additionally, ExpressVPN's Basic plan includes the ExpressMailGuard, which offers a 10MB/month private email relay plus 10 shared aliases.
There is a 30-day money-back guarantee for new users. The plan is available on a one-month rolling contract, although those that sign up for a 12-month plan (offering one year plus an extra three months) can save more than 60%, while those that sign up for a two-year plan (offering two years plus an extra four months) can save 80%.

Advanced
Those that sign up for ExpressVPN's most popular plan, the Advance plan, gain access to a high-speed VPN, which offers high-capacity 40Gbps servers in many high-demand locations, with VPN servers in 113 countries worldwide.
The VPN can be applied across 12 different devices simultaneously, and offers Advanced Protection that blocks ads, trackers and malicious and adult websites. A dedicated IP is available to be purchased as an add-on.
Additionally, ExpressVPN's Advanced plan includes the ExpressMailGuard, which offers a 100MB/month private email relay plus 50 shared aliases and a custom domain, and ExpressKeys, which gives users a password management facility for an unlimited number of passwords plus a 2FA authenticator.
There is a 30-day money-back guarantee for new users. The plan is available on a one-month rolling contract, although those that sign up for a 12-month plan (offering one year plus an extra three months) can save more than 60%, while those that sign up for a two-year plan (offering two years plus an extra four months) can save 73%. Both longer-term plans include a 3GB holiday.com eSIM that is valid for three days in 150+ destinations.
WHAT HAPPENED?
INEOS chief Ratcliffe, who is Britain’s richest man, acquired a 27.7 per cent stake in the Red Devils when completing a £1.2bn ($1.5bn) deal with the Glazer family in February 2024. He has a big task on his hands funding the ambitious plans for Premier League heavyweights.
Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE
They include a serious upgrade, or complete rebuild, of Old Trafford, while money is also required for further additions on the playing side in upcoming transfer windows. Ratcliffe has increased his stake in United, but the Glazers are said to be wary of allowing him to gain more control by pumping his own personal fortune into the club.
THE GOSSIP
The Athletic claims that Ratcliffe had been keen at one stage on finding “private finance” for the Red Devils, helping to cover mounting costs, with it suggested that the richest men on the planet – Tesla chief Musk and Amazon mogul Bezos – could be sounded out.
Getty/GOALDID YOU KNOW?
Ratcliffe felt that Musk and Bezos - who boast net worths of $486bn (£388bn) and $246bn (£196bn) respectively - “might be tempted by the appeal of United”, although there is no indication that the mooted proposal ever gained any kind of traction.
WHAT NEXT?
United are also said to have held exploratory talks with Bank of America about borrowing more money, but for now Ratcliffe and Co continue to implement a number of controversial cost-cutting measures that are intended to put United on a more stable footing in financial and sporting senses.
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