Cooperman raises Manchester United stake but full takeover unlikely

American billionaire Leon Cooperman has increased his holding in Manchester United to 2.9 million shares, having bought stock from a British investment firm. He first invested around the time Sir Jim Ratcliffe was planning his takeover and is not thought to be mounting a takeover bid of his own.

Cooperman initially purchased about a million shares in late 2023, just before Ratcliffe completed his investment. He is thought to own 5.2% of United's Class A shares, a holding valued at more than $50 million (£36.7m/€42m). Despite a net worth of over $3.6 billion (£2.67bn), Class A shares carry one vote each compared with ten votes for Class B stock.

The Glazer family still hold a voting majority of around 67%, while Ratcliffe owns about 28%. The Glazers remain in charge of the corporate and commercial sides of the club, with Ratcliffe and INEOS controlling football operations.

United Kingdom, Manchester

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